WOODS HOLE – The nonprofit technology company based in Barnstable which provides for broadband needs across the region is in the process of installing a high-speed fiber optic network in downtown Woods Hole.
OpenCape already provides each Cape Cod town, including Falmouth, with broadband fiber optic services, but previously only covered select facilities in Woods Hole like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Part of the current work involves replacing a 20-year-old cable reaching into WHOI with a new fiber optic one, and hooking in other businesses.
Executive Director at the organization Steven Johnston said that when OpenCape does connect residents to the network, it should be easier and more cost-effective with the new framework in place.
“With all the research going on down there, there is demand for higher speeds,” he said. “You’re going to see less dropped calls, ability to move more data back and forth.”
Johnston said he hopes to have residents connected by the end of the year.
The majority of Falmouth public buildings, like fire stations and schools, are currently serviced by OpenCape.
Previously, Woods Hole businesses used an interconnection with WHOI for high-speed service.
The timing of the current work was critical, he said, since that area of town will be crunched by incoming tourists in the summer.
Johnston said he plans to provide a mix of wired and wireless connections on these main streets of Cape Cod, especially in Woods Hole and Provincetown.
A partnership with AT&T has already allowed OpenCape to connect over 50 cell towers in the region to their network.
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