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Politics & Government

Town Wants to Hear Verizon's FIOS Plans

Selectmen want to hear installation plans for remaining Verizon's FIOS cables.

It has been more than four years since the town first struck up an agreement with Verizon for the installation of FIOS high-speed fiber optic internet and telephone service, but progress has been frustratingly slow for some residents.

For the most part, outlying subdivisions still haven't been hooked up, because of the need for trenching and repaving as the fiber optic cable is laid down. Newer subdivisions and the downtown already have conduit in the streets, but the many older projects do not.

Mansfield has dozens of subdivisions that were built during the boom of the early 1990's, and none has subsurface conduits ready for cable.

Wednesday, DPW director Lee Azinheria told selectmen Verizon officials will meet again Friday with town administration to discuss the next phases of the installation to subdivisions, the last push before the project is finished.

Town Manager Bill Ross joined Azinheira is expressing concerns that Verizon provide the town with information on buried infrastructure below the surface of the streets before they dig them up.

"We have been meeting with FIOS on the subdivisions, especially the underground areas," said Ross. "We had to get together and ensure that we knew the lines were not on top of water mains.

"They were very vague on information - we have to know what is in our streets and where it is, and get it into the (GIS) data base. It's very important."

Azinheira said Verizon had provided his department with color coded maps of the areas where they were intending to lay the cable lines, but said the maps left out critical information, including the location of gas lines.

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He said it was important to proceed with a deliberate plan. The most recent maps are available on the DPW portion of the town website, www.mansfieldma.com.

"The people of Mansfield have been waiting a long time for this," he said."We can't have them digging up all the streets at the same time, either."

Ross commented the company may now be requesting an extension in the agreement to 2013 or 2014. Talks began in 2007, and the original plans called for a phase-in over five years.

"I supported the five-year phase-in," said Chairman Jess Aptowitz. "We were almost at the end."

Selectman Kevin Moran said it would be in the town's best interest to get as much in writing from Verizon as possible before any trenching begins.

"Verizon is leery of putting anything in writing," he said. "We are just asking the basics - what is in our right-of-way. People will be calling once they start digging."

"Thoroughness is not a detriment," said selectman Doug Annino. "They are making money from our citizens - no bending (of the rules) should be allowed. Trenching and patching scares me."

Azinheira said Mansfield has 101 miles of roads. About 20 percent of the town was still without FIOS, years after it was first installed in parts of the downtown.

He said with a little luck, Verizon could work right through until Dec. 15, the traditional cutoff date for paving.

"It's at my discretion," he said. "If they don't keep the road plowed, they will not be working again until spring.

"I'm trying to get them to do this quickly - a lot of years the weather is good right through Christmas."

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