JULY 23, 2009 -- RCN Metro Optical Networks (search Lightwave for RCN Metro), a division of RCN Corp. and provider of fiber optic-based network technologies, was selected by OpenCape Corp. as its network partner to build and operate a 300-mile fiber-optic network across Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.
OpenCape, a non-profit 501(c)(3), intends to apply in August for a $40 million grant under the federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Grant (BTOP; see Meetings set to discuss broadband stimulus grants and Filing period for first broadband stimulus applications announced for related broadband stimulus information) program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to build the network.
RCN Metro will build and manage operations for the regional open access network. Municipal, public safety, and private last-mile providers will be able to connect to the OpenCape network for data transport throughout the region and to the Internet backbone in Boston and Providence. The added capacity will help the region develop economically and offer increased competitive opportunities for businesses, residents, non-profits, and public service organizations across the region.
"OpenCape is excited and pleased to have a partner with the experience and footprint of RCN Metro. The technical knowledge they bring to the table is a great fit, but more importantly they offer the business skills that will ensure the success and sustainability of this regional initiative," says Dan Gallagher, president of OpenCape.
The relationship is an example of the public-private partnership that the federal stimulus funds are intended to encourage, combining public and private investment, and regional and business know-how to develop needed digital infrastructure to support the region. Adds Gallagher, "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the telecommunications infrastructure that will serve southeast Massachusetts for the next 50 years."