The telecommunications explosion has indeed hit Rhode Island. So-called ‘smart buildings’ are getting wired up in an effort to attract high tech tenants. Fiber optics and cables are being installed at a rapid rate, under the streets of the downtown Jewelry District, for example, and soon, at Quonset Point/Davisville.
Cox Communications recently invested more than $3 million in renovations to its New England call center off Route 2 in West Warwick. The company plans to create more than 400 jobs there over the next two years.
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For the last five years, in fact, Cox has aggressively built out its technical platform.
This broadband network — an investment of $300 million — delivers video, voice and data services over the same fiber optic based cable lines.
American Broadband intends to build a $170 million state-of-the-art network in 20 cities and towns across the state to provide broadband cable, Internet and local and long-distance telephone service to customers, thus establishing direct competition for Cox Communications and the bundled services that the companies offer.
According to Tony Peduto, vice president and general manager of American Broadband Rhode Island, the company anticipates receiving its construction certificate 45 to 60 days after a public hearing scheduled for January 30. After the construction of its broadband network, the company expects to begin serving Rhode Islanders during the third quarter of 2001.
Cox and American Broadband are not alone, as others such as Log On America and Telergy either offer or plan to offer similar bundled telecommunications services.
As a result of such investments by Cox and others, Rhode Island reportedly has more broadband availability than any other state in the country. For example, according to a recent Cox study, 92 percent of Rhode Island homes now have access to broadband Internet service as compared to 40 percent nationwide.
Sewers, water a priority
But despite such gaudy numbers, has the telecommunications explosion hit rural Rhode Island with any kind of real impact?
“We don’t see much of it coming our way,” said Burrillville Town Planner Katia Balassiano.
Not that high speed Internet access, for example, is completely foreign in the northwest corner of the state. Balassiano points out, for example, that the Pascoag Fire District now offers Internet service, along with the electric service it provides to 5,000 Burrillville residents and water service to 1,200 customers.
But as for widespread telecommunications initiatives, Balassiano reports that for now, Burrillville remains largely quiet.
“Developers here are still more concerned about public water and sewers,” she said.
Balassiano suspects that with time, that too will change.
“It will come,” she said. “Northern Rhode Island has been identified as one of the major growth areas of the state. We are receiving an influx of people from Providence and Boston.”
In Foster, a town hall worker said there has been some work recently — some installation of cables along the highway. But as for a widespread influx of telecommunications technology? Not in Foster. Not yet, anyway.
“We don’t even have cable out here in Foster,” said the town hall worker. “We’re the only city or town out of 39 that doesn’t have it.”
Update: PBN originally reported that American Broadband had invested $150 million to $180 million in infrastructure here in Rhode Island. In fact, while the company may plan to do so, it is still in the process of securing permits.
Also, Joseph Hammang, director of science and technology at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation was reported to have been “frustrated that communities such as Foster and Block Island were not wired.
Hammang called to say he is not necessarily frustrated — the fact is, unless there is ample business to merit widespread wiring, providers won’t bother to do so.
