Fiber To The Home
This page provides information on the status of Broadband installation in Ashfield. The project is called Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and it is being managed by Westfield Gas & Electric.
Construction Stages
There are several construction stages during the build of the broadband infrastructure. The stages are:
- Strand - A steel cable is hung
- Fiber - Fiber optic cable is hung
- Lashing - Fiber cable lashed to the strand
- MSTs - Multi-port Service Terminals, which will provide the connectors between the premise cable and the distribution network cable are placed
- Splicing - Individual fibers from the bundle in the fiber optic cable are spliced to MSTs
- Testing - Each terminal of the MST is tested for connectivity back to the hub at Belding Library
Installation Status
| FSA1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Strand | Fiber | Lashing | MSTs | Splicing |
| Route 112 | February 11 | ||||
| Spruce Corner | February 19 | ||||
| Cape Street | February 24 | March 12 | March 19 | ||
| Plainfield Road | February 27 | ||||
| Watson Spruce Corner | February 27 | ||||
| West Road | February 27 | March 5 | |||
| Steady Lane | March 4 |
| FSA2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Strand | Fiber | Lashing | MSTs | Splicing |
| Route 116 | February 11 | ||||
| Ashfield Mountain Road | February 11 | ||||
| Buckland Road | February 11 | ||||
| Smith Road | February 11 | ||||
| Suburban Road | February 12 | ||||
| Norton Hill Road | February 12 | ||||
| West Road | February 17 | March 26 | |||
| Bug Hill Road | February 17 | ||||
| Liliput Road | February 17 |
| FSA3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Strand | Fiber | Lashing | MSTs | Splicing |
| Conway Road | February 5 | February 11 | February 19 | ||
| Williamsburg Road | February 19 | March 19 | March 20 | March 26 | |
| Bullit Road | February 17 | March 13 | |||
| Murray Road | February 17 | ||||
| Hill Road | February 24 | February 24 | |||
| Ludwig Road | March 17 | ||||
| Burton Hill Road | March 19 | ||||
| Creamery Road | March 27 |
| FSA4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Strand | Fiber | Lashing | MSTs | Splicing |
| Baptist Corner Road | January 27 | February 11 | February 19 | March 10 | |
| Main Street | January 28 | ||||
| Barnes Road | January 29 | March 12 | March 16 | March 18 | |
| March Road | January 29 | March 3 | March 16 | ||
| Beldingville Road | January 30 | February 27 | February 27 | March 12 | |
| Phillips Road | January 30 | February 17 | February 17 | ||
| Pfersick Road | January 30 | March 10 | March 10 | March 12 | |
| Warger Road | January 31 | February 17 | February 17 | ||
| Murray Road | February 3 | February 25 | |||
| Bellus Road | February 3 | March 5 | March 16 | ||
| Graves Road | February 5 | March 16 | |||
| Emmet Road | March 19 |
| FSA5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Strand | Fiber | Lashing | MSTs | Splicing |
| Hawley Road | February 12 | ||||
| Bear Swamp Road | February 19 | ||||
| Old Stage Road | February 17 | ||||
| South Cemetery Road | February 17 | ||||
| Ashfield Mountain Road | February 24 | March 3 | March 3 | ||
| Bug Hill Road | February 25 | ||||
| Apple Valley Road | February 25 | March 3 | March 3 |
Certified Complete
No FSA is certified complete to date. As work is completed and certified to be completed they will be listed in this section.
How to Sign-up for Broadband Service
If you are an Ashfield resident and have not yet applied to receive internet and telephone service then it’s not too late to do so. Application for service is still open and can be done at Whip City Fiber. Someone will contact you to inform you of installation cost as your premise installation nears. If you apply for service, you are not obligated to take service if you change your mind before your premise has been wired to the network.
Who’s Doing the Work
The Town authorized $2.3M in borrowing plus an additional approximately $240,000 in annual allocations to fund broadband construction. The Commonwealth has contributed $1.41M and committed to funding some overage costs. Once the service is up and running it will be sustained by subscriber fees.
Westfield Gas and Electric currently is the project manager overseeing the FTTH project until it is completed. WG&E, operating as Whip City Fiber, will also manage internet service and network operations.
Sertex LLC is providing the installation of the fiber wires on the poles throughout the town. They are not responsible for installations from the pole to the premises.
The network hub is the fiber optic interconnection point and contains the switching electronics. It will be located in the basement of Belding Library. It is currently under construction.
Home installations will begin after a Fiber Service Area (FSA) is certified. Whip City Fiber will contact homeowners to schedule installations.