HG&E wrapped up a three month interest campaign in July 2021. Although the results indicated that there are several seriously interested respondents, there aren't enough households currently willing to subscribe to a local, residential fiber internet service to justify an estimated $30 million expenditure to provide City-wide FTTH service. HG&E identified pockets of interest throughout the City and will complete a network design in order to determine the feasibility of a potential pilot fiberhood. Customers who have not had a chance to provide feedback are encouraged to complete the interest form below.
OVERVIEW
HG&E is studying the feasibility of offering internet service to residential customers in the City of Holyoke. This potential new service, called Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), uses fiber optic cables to bring fast, reliable internet into residential dwellings. While HG&E is capable of providing residential FTTH service, there must be sufficient interest and demand for the service in order for the venture to be economically viable and not have an adverse impact on utility rates.
Preliminary estimates indicate that a city-wide fiber internet build-out could cost upwards of $30 million. FTTH service rates would have to cover that $30 million cost while paying for continued operation and upgrades.
HG&E will not offer television services as part of the FTTH service. Customers will be required to either “cut the cord” or keep their current TV provider. “Cutting the cord” means terminating traditional cable television service and subscribing to one or more streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, etc.
In order to determine the level of interest in the community, we want to hear from HG&E customers who would like to subscribe to a local, residential fiber internet service. As we continue to study and research the feasibility of this project, it’s important that customers answer these questions as accurately as possible.
If you'd like to express interest or provide feedback on FTTH, please complete the interest form below. If you need additional information before completing the form, please visit FTTH frequently asked questions or about FTTH.