Expanding our Creative Economy

Dear Friends,

Last month I was at Mount Washington Town Hall in south Berkshire County where more than ten percent of the residents of the town attended a meeting to discuss the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts in bringing universal broadband to every municipality in the Commonwealth. Considering that the town of Mount Washington only has a population of 167 residents, a turnout of 22 residents including all 3 selectmen and members of the town broadband committee, on a Friday afternoon demonstrates how important this issue is to residents across Massachusetts. This is especially true in more rural parts of the state where a lack of access to broadband is a major obstacle to economic development, education, and public safety.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute, created by the Patrick-Murray Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008, is in the process of building MassBroadband 123, a 1,300 mile fiber-optic backbone network that will connect over 120 communities in western and north central Massachusetts. This project is funded by approximately $45 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, in addition to $30 million in state matching funds. Construction will be completed in the summer of 2013. 

I also had the pleasure of visiting Hitpoint Studios in Hatfield, the largest independent gaming company in Massachusetts with 44 full-time employees. The affordable cost of living in western Massachusetts and access to the wealth of talented artists, designers, and programmers in the Five College area allows Hitpoint to compete with their competitors in Seattle, New York, and San Francisco.

Hitpoint is only one example of how we are using the Commonwealth’s resources such as our talented workforce, a product of our outstanding universities, to encourage businesses and industries to operate in every region of Massachusetts and make strategic investments to attract new and modern industries. 

For more information on the Creative Economy please visit:
http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/creative/createmass.html

Once again, thank you for your support on this and other Patrick-Murray Administration’s initiatives.

Sincerely,


Tim Murray