It's no secret that Comcast isn't exactly the most-liked company in the world, and that became particularly clear on Friday when a small town in Massachusetts -- Charlemont -- voted against a proposal that would have allowed Comcast to roll out cable internet in the area.
The proposal, which may have cost Charlemont roughly $462,000, could have saved the town close to $1 million in the short term. The alternative, which will go into effect soon, was to let the town itself build out a municipal fiber network, a project that will cost $1.4 million in total.
However, it should be noted that the network won't be free to residents. By acting as its own service provider, Charlemont can sell off internet packages to its residents, potentially allowing it to make up its costs or even turn a profit. If at least 72 percent of households subscribe to the network, there would be "no tax impact," according to Ars Technica.
For a mere $79/month, residents of the town will get unlimited gigabit internet speeds, both upload and download. That price is already significantly cheaper than many comparable services in other cities, but it could get bumped up to $99/month if too few households adopt the network.
