Starting in the first quarter of 2019, CEL will begin offering high-speed internet service to business customers in Chicopee. CEL is working with a handful of business customers to test out the system prior to offering it next year. Service to some residential customers should be available by the end of 2019. Crossroads Fiber, Chicopee Electric's high-speed Internet service, will offer speeds of up to 1 Gb/sec, which is 10X faster that what is typically available in Chicopee today. Because the system will be 100% fiber, the Internet connection will be more reliable and of higher quality.
The timing of a build out after the initial test will begin with business customers that are in close proximity to existing fiber in early 2019. After that, an expanded pilot area is scheduled to begin construction in the summer of 2019. Residents in the area will be offered service after construction is complete. After a successful completion of the pilot, CEL will build out service to match demand in areas called "fiberhoods".
CEL believes that proceeding in a thoughtful, measured way will allow the utility to control costs and manage construction schedules based on demand. It is the only way to ensure Crossroads Fiber is self-sufficient and does not impact electric rates. CEL will be able to speed up or slow down construction based on the demand. CEL will provide more information on Crossroads Fiber including pricing and availability of the service on it's website in the future.
For details about our service, please visit: www.crossroadsfiber.net