OpenCape: the issue

the issue

Cape Cod and the Southeastern Massachusetts Region have inadequate communications infrastructure. The communications deficiencies are in both backhaul transport and “last mile” access options.

The traditional commercial providers have not developed the capacity to serve the entire region, nor have they introduced more modern services such as fiber optics. They do not see the return to justify the cost of investment in the region. The result is old technology, limited options, inadequate capacity, lack of redundancy, and unnecessarily high cost to residents and businesses of the region.

The impact on the region is significant. Many homes and businesses cannot gain access to the Internet because they are beyond the service range for incumbent traditional providers; school systems lack access to the rich resources of Internet 2 and video content because the lack capacity and access; enterprise institutions throttle protocols and lease server space off-Cape because they have inadequate down and up bandwidth.

The Cape, Islands and South Coast are the most vulnerable region in Massachusetts to natural disaster. A hurricane will eventually strike the region again and it may be much stronger than Hurrican Bob was in 1992 (pictured).

The Cape's proximity to the Plymouth nuclear power plant adds to its vulnerability. The region does not have the robust and redundant system of communications it will need in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. In fact, the outer-Cape has suffered complete loss of communications (including 911 service) because there is no redundancy to existing systems.

Hurricane Bob image from satellite as covers the northeast of the United States in 1992.

Photo taken by NOAA

creating regional broadband opportunities

the issue

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