Is there an email address that I can send a signed .pdf of the Residential Access Agreement to for our property? Please send all correspondence to: Attn. AlfordLink Enterprise Fund, 5 Alford Center Rd., Alford, MA 01230, or email completed forms to: MLP@townofalford.org

I believe I sent back the form signing up for a drop to my home, but I’m not aware of any further signups for actual Internet service. Can you clarify? Please go on-line to AlfordLink.com and submit your application for just a Service Drop or a Service Drop plus AlfordLink Internet service. The Network Operator for AlfordLink Internet service is Whip city Fiber.

If we sign the Property Access Form ( PAF) and the fiber drop is installed, do we still have the option NOT to connect to the new broadband system? Having the fiber drop installed does not obligate the homeowner to subscribe to the Internet service. Subscription to the Internet service will be contracted in a separate agreement.

What if we are not in the area when the Service Drop Contractor calls? If you are not going to be in the area when the contractor contacts homeowners to plan and implement the service drop, then please arrange with a neighbor or representative to meet with and guide the contractor per your requirements.

What is the policy toward Net Neutrality for the choice of Network Operator and Internet Service Provider for Alford? The Alford Municipal Lighting Plant (MLP) generally supports the goals of Net Neutrality. The MLP intends to provide Gigabit Internet service to Town residents without bias regarding content or “speed lanes.” The exact details of how the Internet Service Provider (ISP) contract will read are still being developed. None of the ISPs being considered are content providers, so “net neutrality” is not expected to be an issue. One should note, however, that any rules or legislation addressing “net neutrality” are ultimately Federal issues, which must be complied with.

How will the new system compare with the high-speed internet service from Verizon? AlfordLink Internet service provides nominal “Gigabit" Internet access. Actual speeds will vary somewhat depending on fluctuations in demand. To our knowledge, the only Internet service available from Verizon in parts of Alford is a “DSL” product. You can run a free speed test to get a performance comparison. One site that offers this is http://beta.speedtest.net/. We expect that the speed of the service to be provided by the Alford network will be far greater than with DSL.

What is the projected monthly cost per household for new service? Costs for various levels of service are described on the AlfordLink.com website.

Will broadband give me cell phone reception at my home? Regular cell service is not provided via the network; that’s an entirely different technology. However, some cell phones allow calls to be made via an Internet connection, and it is possible to purchase devices for personal use that allow cellular connections to be made via Internet connections. However, that is not part of the service that will be provided via the project.

What are Open Meeting Law and the Conflict-of-Interest Law? The Open Meeting Law defines deliberation as “an oral or written communication through any medium, including electronic mail, between or among a quorum of a public body on any public business within its jurisdiction.” Distribution of a meeting agenda, scheduling or procedural information, or reports or documents that may be discussed at a meeting is often helpful to public body members when preparing for upcoming meetings. These types of communications generally will not constitute deliberation, provided that, when these materials are distributed, no member of the public body expresses an opinion on matters within the body’s jurisdiction. Additionally, certain communications that may otherwise be considered deliberation are specifically exempt by statute from the definition of deliberation (for example, discussion of the recess and continuance of a Town Meeting pursuant to G.L. c. 39, § 10A(a) is not deliberation). http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/attorney-generals-open-meeting-law-guide.html

What constitutes a deliberation? To be a deliberation, the communication must involve a quorum of the public body. A quorum is usually a simple majority of the members of a public body. Thus, a communication among less than a quorum of the members of a public body will not be a deliberation, unless there are multiple communications among the members of the public body that together constitute communication among a quorum of members. Courts have held that the Open Meeting Law applies when members of a public body communicate in a serial manner in order to evade the application of the law. Note that the expression of an opinion on matters within the body’s jurisdiction to a quorum of a public body is a deliberation, even if no other public body member responds. For example, if a member of a public body sends an email to a quorum of a public body expressing her opinion on a matter that could come before that body, this communication violates the law even if none of the recipients responds. http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/attorney-generals-open-meeting-law-guide.html#Meetings-DeliberationEndFragment