Pittsfield Receives $100,000 Grant To Provide Better–What?

Thanks to the Baker-Polito Administration and the Bay State, numerous communities across Massachusetts received IT grants on Tuesday. That's right, Pittsfield residents, your Wi-Fi access is going to get better.

Mass.gov reports that Pittsfield has been granted nearly $100,000 to expand public internet access downtown. During a press conference on Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito announced $3.5 million in grants to 70 municipalities through the Community Compact Cabinet Information Technology grant program. And one of the communities to receive a portion of those funds is the city of Pittsfield.

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One of the things many of us have learned during the coronavirus pandemic is how important it is to have access to technology. At any time nowadays, but especially during the pandemic, the need to be able to connect to the internet is critical.

Pittsfield plans to use it’s grant to provide better Wi-Fi access to residents, especially in the downtown area. Hopefully, this will all be ready by summertime next year. Mayor Linda Tyer said that a better Wi-Fi system was not only good for the economy but was also a public service.

In a media statement, Governor Charlie Baker had this to say:

Technology systems support so many of the critical services that Massachusetts cities, towns and school districts provide to residents. We are proud that our Administration, through the work of the Community Compact Cabinet, is continuing its partnership with local communities to enable another round of innovative IT improvement projects.

East Longmeadow, Huntington, and South Hadley are some of the other Western Massachusetts communities that received funding through the grant. For more on the story, visit Mass.gov's website here.