AccessPlus launches affordable fiber service at Hearthway Properties in Pittsfield

AccessPlus, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and Hearthway Properties marked the start of high-speed fiber internet service at a Pittsfield affordable housing site this week. The rollout expands low-cost connectivity for residents and adds to a broader effort to bring fiber to more housing communities in the city.

Why it matters: - The new fiber service gives Hearthway Properties residents access to fast, affordable internet for work, school, healthcare and everyday use. - The rollout is part of a wider effort to close the digital divide in Pittsfield’s affordable housing communities. - AccessPlus is using local fiber infrastructure to support affordable housing connectivity, existing customers and business service in the region.

What happened: - AccessPlus, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, Hearthway Properties and local community leaders celebrated the launch of high-speed fiber internet at Hearthway Properties in Pittsfield this week. - The event marked a Go LIVE milestone for AccessPlus’s affordable housing broadband work in the city. - The Hearthway Properties activation follows AccessPlus’s earlier MBI-supported Pittsfield launch at four Pittsfield Housing Authority properties.

The details: - AccessPlus received projects through MBI’s Residential Retrofit Program to bring high-speed fiber connectivity to housing units across four Pittsfield properties. - The Residential Retrofit Program funds broadband infrastructure upgrades in public and affordable housing communities. - AccessPlus’s affordable housing fiber service starts at 500 Mbps for $35 per month. - The service includes Wi-Fi, with no hidden fees or long-term contracts. - Fiber offers symmetrical upload and download speeds and capacity for multiple connected devices. - Eileen Peltier, president and CEO of Hearthway Properties, said the partnership helps ensure residents have connectivity for work, education, healthcare and daily life. - Michael Baldino, MBI director and general counsel, said the program brings housing providers, internet providers and community partners together to give residents the connectivity they need to thrive.

Between the lines: - The project shows how state broadband funding and local fiber assets can be combined to serve affordable housing residents. - AccessPlus is positioning its Pittsfield network as both a commercial asset and a community infrastructure tool. - The emphasis on price, no contracts and included Wi-Fi suggests the service is aimed at lowering adoption barriers, not just improving speeds.

What's next: - AccessPlus is expected to keep expanding affordable housing fiber access in Pittsfield through MBI-supported projects. - MBI will continue using state and federal funding for infrastructure expansion and digital equity programs across Massachusetts. - AccessPlus says more local organizations, businesses and residents can use its fiber network and related communications services.

The bottom line: - The Hearthway Properties launch adds another affordable housing site to Pittsfield’s growing fiber footprint and pushes low-cost broadband deeper into the city’s housing stock.

For more information about AccessPlus, visit AccessPlus. For more information about MBI, visit MBI broadband program.