State appoints head of broadband inst.

Boston Business Journal
April 30, 2009
By Jackie Noblett

Commissioner of Telecommunications and Cable Sharon Gillett was named Thursday the director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, leading the state’s efforts to expand broadband access.

Gillet was named by Gov. Deval Patrick to the post, which was set up following a broadband expansion bill passed last August. The law established the Massachusetts Broadband Institute to ensure high-speed Internet is available to every community in Massachusetts by 2011. In addition to building public-private partnerships to accomplish the goals, the MBI will be charged with applying for and allocating the state’s share of broadband stimulus funds.

“I want to thank Governor Patrick for his leadership on this important issue and for giving me this exciting opportunity to continue serving the public,” said Gillett. “Expanding broadband services will help ensure that all Massachusetts communities are open for business. We have a tremendous opportunity to work with the Obama Administration to attract federal funding that will help us deliver better broadband to every corner of the Commonwealth.”

Gillett had been commissioner for the past two years, and before that was a principal research associate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s school of engineering, working on broadband-related public policy.