State Grant Will Support New Fiber Optic Network for Georgetown Municipal Sites

GEORGETOWN – The Town of Georgetown has received a $250,000 state grant that will support the creation of a fiber optic network connecting municipal and school buildings.

The grant means municipal government will manage and control its digital presence, rather than relying on external developers and private internet service providers.

The Town was one of 39 selected in this round of grant funding in the Community Compact Municipal Fiber grant program and received the maximum $250,000 award. The state Executive Office for Administration and Finance uses the program to assist municipal agencies in improving technology infrastructure and closing gaps in their local networks.

The new hub-and-spoke network will be based in the Public Safety Building and connect Town Hall, schools, and other municipal sites.

The fiber optic municipal area network’s passive optical design is designed to support transmission of all communications applications on the network including voice and data, security systems, surveillance systems, audio visual systems, wireless edge applications, public safety alarm and radio frequency transmissions, extended LAN networks, building control systems, SCADA applications and all other communications systems.

“The Town is responsible for collecting and maintaining personal and sensitive information, and this grant will give us much greater control,” Town Administrator Orlando Pacheco said. “Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. We have received more than $1 million in grant funding in the past year, and their support of our vision for Georgetown has made a tremendous difference.”