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Hello Friends ~
Last week we all gave thanks, (and ate a lot of turkey and watched a bit of football.) This got me thinking about what we at OpenCape are appreciative of and how lucky we are to be doing the work we do every day.
The number one thing I’m grateful for is all of you. Our customer base is growing dramatically every month, and we are honored to work with some of the most innovative, forward-thinking and creative business people, entrepreneurs and municipal leaders in our region. We share your vision for productivity and change in our communities and we are inspired by your ideas and innovation. People are clearly beginning to realize that OpenCape is much more than merely a provider of Internet services…..we are an economic development engine for our region, and our focus on growth and entrepreneurship is what will help drive our economy for decades to come.
Number two, I’m thankful that OpenCape has been able to accomplish so much, especially over the past year and half. Our strategy to serve more clients by focusing on businesses and public institutions near our network’s backbone has proved to be incredibly successful. And this success allows us to explore new opportunities for expansion.
I’m also glad that we have input from the community about offering residential service ~ and I’m eager to get even more. Finding ways to collaborate with villages and towns to bring the residents of Cape Cod, the Islands and Southeastern MA. high speed, reliable internet at a competitive price is one of our major goals for 2019.
And finally, I’m so proud to lead a fantastic team of dedicated and talented people who live and work in our region. Every day they work incredibly hard to give our customers the best Internet services and products possible.
I hope you found lots of reasons to be thankful last Thursday ~ and every day.
Best,
Steve
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Pie in the Sky
When you think November, you think pie ~ pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie. So its only fitting that this month we feature one of our small-business clients:
Pie in the Sky Bakery and Internet Cafe in Woods Hole.
Located at the end of the Shining Sea Bike Path, Pie in the Sky is open 7 days a week, 364 days a year. They open early, (5 am) and stay open late, until 10pm or 11pm each night.
The cozy cafe features an enormous 1,700 pound Probat L12 coffee roaster used daily to roast 100% Organic & Fair Trade Dean’s Beans, from which all their coffee, espresso, and cocoa drinks are made.
The free, high speed Internet is definitely a draw for customers who come to enjoy a delicious variety of handmade pies, croissants, cookies, popovers, and breads that have been "Baked in the Hole since 1982.” And being on the OpenCape network is good for business.
"My game is nickels and dimes," says Pie in the Sky owner and master coffee roaster Erik Gura. "We will process over 1000 transactions on a busy summer day. If our Internet goes down, our customers go away upset and unserved and our revenue stream is cut in half instantly," he says. "Reliability is key and OpenCape is my choice."
Guests happily surfing the web on OpenCape's network can also order lunch from a menu that includes made to order sandwiches, homemade soups, quiche, and salads.
So the next time you’re in Woods Hole, drop in to Pie in the Sky to have a just-baked pastry, peruse local art on the walls, sip some fresh roasted coffee and relish OpenCape's super-fast Internet speeds.
For more information about the delicious coffee and treats at Pie in the Sky click
here.
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With winter storms already upon us, it's a perfect time to think about what it would mean to Cape Cod and our region if and when a major weather emergency strikes.
We wouldn't be doing our job here at OpenCape if we didn't plan for worst case scenarios. We regularly hypothesize how we would respond to a situation where our infrastructure was so damaged that we had to restore communications to hospitals, police, fire, banking etc. in a timely fashion by utilizing alternatives systems.
So earlier this month, OpenCape CEO Steve Johnston was pleased to be interviewed on air by Cape Cod Broadcasting's Matt Pitta, host of Sunday Journal, to discuss OpenCape's ongoing work with Barnstable County's Regional Emergency Planning Committee and their Department Director/Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Sean O'Brien.
The BCREPC has developed a plan for response to emergency situations on the Cape and Islands, by working extensively with emergency responders from throughout the Cape and Islands.
In his interview with Pitta, Johnston stressed that with everything happening across the country over the past couple of years in terms of storm emergencies, we really need to think about what infrastructure would need to be put into place if we lost our current system.
One idea that OpenCape is examining is to utilize and upgrade our existing microwave network - which was originally designed to allow us to circumvent a damaged section of telephone pole and restore service while repairs were underway.
Having that system - which is located on hardened facilities like water towers which can withstand strong winds and other storm damage - operational will quickly allow for critical communications to hospitals, first responders and emergency hubs.
You can listen to Steve's interview on CCB online, learn more about our collaboration with BCREPC and find out how OpenCape is exploring opportunities to best serve our region in the event of a debilitating storm.
For more information on BCREPC visit their
website.
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REVITALIZATION of MAIN STREET
OpenCape’s hard work and collaboration with the towns of Falmouth, Hyannis and Provincetown paid off earlier this year when Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed an economic development bill that authorized funds for fiber build outs for their respective main streets. The funding that was allocated for each town (Falmouth $287,000, Hyannis $300,000 and Provincetown $300,000) gives us the opportunity to reinvigorate their downtowns, connect businesses who have struggled to even process credit cards on busy shopping days, and would allow OpenCape to pilot residential service (FTTH) in select neighborhoods.
But the monies are not yet guaranteed, which is why OpenCape is meeting next week with all the parties - Town Managers, representatives from the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, and other community leaders - who are working together toward the same goal. We will strategize and organize our appeal to the Commonwealth to take the next steps to effectuate the funding. Stay tuned for how you can help encourage the Governor and the Legislature to support this vital improvement initiative on Cape Cod.
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TAKE A SPIN!
Once again the OpenCape team will light up the Barnstable Village Christmas Stroll with fiber fun! Join the hundreds of happy strollers on Route 6A in Barnstable Village on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm. This annual holiday event which features food, games and music is a blast for all ages ~ and our signature OpenCape fiber optic novelties are always a big hit. This year we will have a large prize wheel and each spin gives you a chance to win something that glows (just like Rudolph’s nose!) plus plenty of giveaways that include OpenCape candy, pens, and chip clips. C’mon by and support all the small businesses of Barnstable Village, such as your own LOCAL Internet provider, OpenCape!
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OpenCape Corporation
P.O. Box 1148
Barnstable, MA
02630-2148
www.opencape.org
508-362-2224
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