Does Westport need better Internet connectivity? Many residents believe it does, and a warrant article on next Tuesday's Town Meeting agenda would, if passed, give the town the means to look more closely at providing it here.

Tucked two thirds of the way through the May 3 Town Meeting docket, warrant article 20 asks voters if they want to approve the establishment of a municipal light plant (MLP) here. The archaic term  goes back to a time when many areas of the state did not have electricity, but could build a local electrical power system to provide electricity to residents. Over time, services came to include telephone and, now, Internet infrastructure.

The town's Internet Advisory Committee has been studying Internet access in Westport for some time, and is expected to finish a feasibility study on the matter by the summer. The goal is to take a look at the town's current fiber optic system and work with a consultant to recommend the best way to get high speed fiber Internet into homes and businesses.

If voters approve article 20, it would be one of several steps needed to establish local Internet facilities. As establishing the MLP requires holding two Town Meeting votes, a second meeting would have to be held as early as July, and no later than June 2023.

Following that, and assuming the MLP passes both meetings, the Select Board could then appoint a manager or MLP board to operate the plant — or it could do nothing.

Voting 'Yes' on both Town Meeting issues does not create a financial obligation, and does not mean the town will have to establish the plant, Select Board members learned at a meeting earlier this month. Instead, the town would simply be allowed to continue its studies and make its own decisions as to whether an MLP is even needed or wanted, with that state MLP requirement out of the way.

Select board members said that going this route would give the town the ability to keep its options open as it continues to study broad band Internet access here; the committee is expected to make a decision on whether to go forward with the MLP within about 18 months' time.

Select board members believe pursuing a local fiber optic network could lead to lower cost, faster service, and more competition for access to the Internet for residents and businesses.

During its study to date, the Internet Advisory Committee has found, particularly since the pandemic, that Westport's old infrastructure is inadequate and with more people expected to work from home into the future, a better system is needed.