West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, CHD Cancer House of Hope Program Director Margaret Toomey, CHD President and CEO Jim Goodwin, Westfield Gas & Electric General Manager Tom Flaherty and their teams celebrate the first municipal fiber connection in the city.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
WEST SPRINGFIELD — West Springfield flipped the figurative switch on Nov. 20, connecting the first customer to the municipal fiber network, operated by Whip City Fiber from Westfield Gas & Electric.
CHD’s Cancer House of Hope, 1999 Westfield St., received the first connection. CHD’s Cancer House of Hope provides people with cancer in free access to services such as oncology massage, reiki, support groups, art therapy, horseback riding, a prosthetic fitting and wig fitting.
“Thank you, Westfield G&E, for our high-speed internet,” CHD Cancer House of Hope Program Director Margaret Toomey said.
Mayor Will Reichelt said the first connection has been “a few years in the making.” He said the CHD’s Cancer House of Hope was deserving of being the first connection. Addressing Toomey, he said, “There’s a need and you’ve more than met it.”
CHD President and CEO Jim Goodwin joked, “Beats being at the end of the line.”
Since the inception of the plan, town residents voted overwhelmingly to approve the project, and it has been expanded to a townwide network buildout. Rolling out the entire town will take about five years, Westfield Gas & Electric General Manager Tom Flaherty said. He said that the original plan was to pilot fiber in four areas of town. However, in the time it took to complete the design and preliminary work, “the mayor made the decision to roll out the whole town.” The first four neighborhoods have about 500 connections, which will be scheduled in the month ahead.
The goal is to have 50% of internet customers connect to the municipal fiber network. At that threshold, the town will bring in enough revenue to cover the debt on the bonds that pay for construction. Flaherty believes 50% is achievable, particularly because people have widely expressed not liking the cost of their current service.
“I think it’s going to be something that as people see crews out there working on the poles and they’re going to want to have [fiber], too,” Reichelt added.
Toomey said the internet speed is much faster. “It’s the wave of the future. It’s lightning fast, state of the art,” she said. “It’s like a breath of fresh air, the technology.” Not only can she look up cancer research much faster and more efficiently, but she can stream presentations from oncology fellows at Baystate for the clients.
“Today marks a significant moment in West Side’s growth and future,” Reichelt said in a press release. “Connecting our first customers to the municipally owned fiber network is not just about faster internet — it’s about expanding opportunities for education, business, and innovation. This is a step toward bridging the digital divide and ensuring that every resident has access to the tools they need to succeed in the modern world. We’re excited for what the future holds as we continue to invest in the infrastructure that will power our community for generations to come.”
To learn more about the municipal fiber network or to sign up for fiber when it is available in your area, please visit whipcityfiber.com/west-side.
