WestSHREWSBURY
GROUP SEEKS GOOGLE FIBER - Officials at Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations have formed a working group of residents to attract the Google Fiber for Communities program to town. The program, which could create a fiber-optic telecommunications service, is seeking applications that show levels of interest and what kind of telecom infrastructure exists in the community. Jackie Pratt, marketing manager at Shrewsbury Electric and Cable, said she thinks the fact that the town-operated utility owns its poles and other hardware, and has what she characterized as a strong working relationship with town officials on matters of permitting, should give Shrewsbury an edge in its application. The working group, she said, was formed Feb. 25 and will meet again, throughout this month, prior to the application deadline of March 26. The 13-member team, she said, consists of members conversant with online mapping and video applications, which they plan to use to chart key areas of interested residents and to produce online informational videos. A public hearing, Pratt said, is also under consideration.
- James O’Brien