Shark Concerns: OpenCape Proposes Fiber Optics For Isolated Beaches

BARNSTABLE – A local nonprofit technology company is responding to requests from Outer Cape towns and the National Seashore for communications upgrades at area beaches.

The requests comes from what the towns call an “urgent need” to address the increase in shark-human interactions following two shark attacks on the Outer Cape last year, one of which was fatal.

OpenCape, a Barnstable-based technology nonprofit organization that owns and operates Cape Cod’s 100% fiber optic network, has delivered a comprehensive 85-page proposal to Outer Cape town managers, boards of selectmen, Cape Cod National Seashore Officials and the Cape and Islands legislative delegation.

The proposal outlines an action plan to connect beaches and parking areas to OpenCape’s backbone network, as well as offering insight into innovative shark monitoring systems that would also utilize the network’s capacities.

“While wildlife management and beach use policies and procedures are well beyond the scope of OpenCape’s not-for-profit mission, one element of the situation – Connectivity and Communications – is not,” said OpenCape CEO Steve Johnston.

Johnston said that the Outer Cape beaches are, for the most part, completely unserved in terms of cellular connectivity, creating a critical issue for residents, visitors and first responders.

“If you’ve been to any of the beaches on the Outer Cape, you know you just can’t get a cellphone signal. Getting EMS, first responders, and an alert system in place for sharks would be hugely helpful,” Johnston added.

OpenCape’s proposal suggests methods of solving connectivity issues at the National Seashore and other Outer Cape beaches, which in turn presents new opportunities for local development. The most immediate benefit outlined is an increase in public safety.

Following the second attack within a month last year, which claimed the life of 23-year-old Arthur Medici at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, OpenCape convened a team of telecom and engineering professionals to study the lack of communication platforms at Outer Cape beaches.

“When Arthur Medici was killed we put together a group immediately to look at this issue. Not because wildlife management and ocean management policies are part of our mission, but really the big issue on the Outer Cape that we didn’t want to inhibit any improvements from happening to was communication,” Johnston explained.

“In addition to public safety, about 7.5 million people use those beaches and we want to keep that number at that level, we don’t want it to become four million or two million because that would cripple our economy.”

By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center 

About CapeCod.com NewsCenter

The award-winning CapeCod.com NewsCenter provides the Cape Cod community with a constant, credible source for local news. We are on the job seven days a week.



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy