I spoke recently with various RCN and Town people about progress on
underground connections. There are basically two problems:

(1) The Selectmen directed the five telecom companies working in town
to do "joint trenching" (i.e., only dig up the street once). This
requires cooperation.

(2) RCN, AT&T, and other companies have cut back capital expenditures
in the wake of the recent equity market correction. Hence they have
lost interest in completing our Internet infrastructure, let alone
cooperating.

The Town formally notified RCN of their imminent default on their
agreement to complete wiring the town by 24 May 2001. RCN claimed
mitigating circumstances in the form of the joint trenching
requirement.

In the meantime, AT&T Broadband halted all capital investment this
calendar year in Lexington and the other ex-Cablevision franchises,
even though most of the overhead work has already been done by
Cablevision. The Town sent a strongly worded letter to AT&T saying,
in effect, "You've got to be kidding!"

Now the Town has told RCN to go ahead and dig without AT&T. RCN and
the Town will hold a meeting this week or next to determine RCN's
current intentions.

I'm told that RCN's David Grain (regional boss), Nick Leuici (sp?)
(legal and government relations), and Peggy Sullivan (Lexington
representative) all seem to be trying to get the job done. They are
apparently fighting corporate reluctance to expend more capital here.

An alternative to cable and DSL is "fixed wireless". Metrocom
inquired about installing their "Ricochet" system and the Town was
preparing an invitation to bid, but Metrocom then suspended their
activity here.

I know that the area around the Green, the Drummer Boy condos, and
the Potter Pond condos are still unwired. I don't know where else
RCN is unavailable. If you still are waiting for underground
service, please send me a note directly (i.e., not to this list) and
tell me where you live. I'll keep track of who's waiting and let you
know if I learn anything useful.

Tom :-{



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Tom Fortmann (781)861-7296 tom@...
5 Harrington Road, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421
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