Cape Cod has entered a period of economic transition. A growing consensus has developed that the economic prosperity of the region is in jeopardy if current demographic and economic trends continue. Economic diversification will help to ensure a thriving economy in the future. In particular the Cape must nurture and further develop the innovation economy.

A growing collaborative spirit among organizations such as the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Cape Cod Technology Council, Cape Cod Commissioners, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Cape Cod Community College, and many other organizations and businesses is taking shape. Throughout the region there is a desire to expand the innovation sector dramatically, thus creating greater numbers of companies, and higher paying jobs, in the technology, alternative energy, marine science, and other innovation sector fields. This sector is well suited to the Cape. It is high paying, low impact, and clean.

The Cape, Islands and South Coast are also the most vulnerable region in Massachusetts to natural disaster. A hurricane will eventually strike. The region does not have the robust and redundant system of communications it will need in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. In fact, the outer-Cape has suffered complete loss of communications (including 911 service) because existing systems lack redundancy. The impact of a natural disaster on Cape economic activity will be severe. The lack of adequate infrastructure will negatively impact the ability of businesses to recover from a disaster.

Cape Cod and the Islands have inadequate communications infrastructure to support aggressive economic development efforts in the innovation sector or provide robust communications in a hurricane. The communications deficiencies are in both backhaul transport and “last mile” access options. Economic development is hindered, educational opportunities are limited, and cultural engagement is reduced. Development of a robust telecommunications infrastructure is essential to both the innovation sector development and crisis communications.

The non-profit OpenCape Corporation was formed in 2007 to address the need for greater telecommunications capacity and options on Cape Cod. OpenCape’s purpose is to fulfill the need for a regional communications network to enhance education, research, and economic development, AND provide for an emergency communications network in times of crisis.

OpenCape Corporation will create and operate a regional wholesale digital backhaul communications network commonly referred to as the TRANSPORT network. This network will provide reliable, redundant, and secure backhaul communications for public and commercial access networks on Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The network will support open access and promote competition in all telecommunications services.

The OpenCape Corporation will provide priority access to designated Regional and Primary emergency evacuation centers and community emergency operations centers.

OpenCape Corporation will generate revenues adequate to operate, maintain, and upgrade the transport network by selling access to the transport network to access entities. Access entities will take many shapes and forms. None of these entities could create or operate the necessary backhaul to meet their individual needs. By creating an open wholesale transport network that each can use, each can thrive.

The OpenCape initiative has made steady and growing progress in the past year. The current status of the effort is listed below:

1. Regional Support. 100% of Cape school districts and towns, and other entities who might play a role in the OpenCape, project have submitted letters of support. A Regional Summit is being planned for June 26th Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that will bring together local, regional, and state leaders, both public and private sector, to discuss public private partnerships that can help to exploit the capabilities inherent in OpenCape. For example, communities and school districts will be asked to work towards connecting their physical networks to one another through OpenCape and creating applications such as shared data, web, and other services in an umbrella of services overlaying the Cape region.

2. Seed Funding. The Cape Cod Economic Development Council (EDC) of Barnstable County has contributed $50,000. Cape Cod Community College, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and UMASS Dartmouth have each committed $30,000. A Regional Priority Grant was approved by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, John Adams Innovation Institute for $150,000. The funds support engineering studies, demand aggregation, and other necessary analysis needed to prepare a full proposal to build the network.

3. Proof of Concept/Engineering. OpenCape is now testing the initial point-to-point link of the initiative’s proof-of-concept to establish a regional digital data highway network. Three additional links will be installed when testing of the first link is completed. Once completed, the proof-of-concept will establish a high speed connection from Cape Cod Community College to the Internet. The proof-of-concept is necessary to validate the technology and the OpenCape Corporation’s ability to implement it. An RFP has been issued to conduct an engineering study of the switching and routing network. Finalists have been interviewed and a contract will be issued to design the network in mid-May, 2008.

4. Institutional Development. The OpenCape initiative is managed by the nonprofit OpenCape Corporation. The initiative is the result of a region-wide collaboration, led by Cape Cod Community College, the Cape Cod Technology Council, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The collaboration involves more than 40 different regional entities, including school districts, municipalities, and other agencies.

5. Full Project Funding. The OpenCape Corporation is seeking funding for the full project implementation. A request was made of the Joint Committee on Bonding and State Assets in February, 2008 to open and amend House Bill 4311 “An Act Establishing and Funding the Massachusetts Broadband Institute” to expand the bond from $25 million to $30 million to construct the OpenCape network. House 4311 is commonly referred to as the Governor’s Broadband Bill. The entire Cape and Islands delegation has taken a keen interest in this Bill and taken action to ensure the Bill is amended to include the funding of OpenCape. This Bill is expected to move through the legislature in May, 2008.

Securing funding for the construction of the OpenCape network is a major hurdle. Regional and local leaders, businesses and citizens have been taking action to communicate the need for the OpenCape network to be funded and constructed. The legislative delegation has heard them and is responding.

The House delegation is working to ensure the Bill is amended to include OpenCape. Representatives Cleon Turner, Matt Patrick, and Sarah Peake testified before the Joint Committee on Bonding and State Assets in public hearings. Representative Turner and Representative Jeff Perry, in a spirit of bipartisanship, drafted a letter to the Joint Committee and obtained the signatures of the entire Cape and Island House delegation. The Senate President, Therese Murray, has taken a personal interest and is working to ensure OpenCape is funded within the Bill.