Locke touts stimulus broadband funds for western Mass.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke appeared in Greenfield, Mass., on Thursday to promote a $45.4 million Recovery Act grant aimed at expanding broadband Internet access in western Massachusetts.

Locke was joined for the announcement by Democratic lawmakers — including Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry — and said the grant will go to the Massachusetts Broadband Institute to fund a new fiber network that will link 1,400 institutions in the western part of the state.

“This $45.4 million grant to the Massachusetts Broadband Institute will pay dividends for decades by expanding high-speed Internet access to public safety facilities, schools, local and state government facilities, and dozens of healthcare providers,” Locke said.

The investment is one of 66 broadband projects announced by President Barack Obama last week, to cost a total of $795 million. The Recovery Act included more than $7 billion for expanding the availability of broadband in rural and under-served communities.

“I remember sitting with our state legislators and business leaders in 1998 talking about how to wire western Massachusetts for the future,” Kerry said. “We’ve been fighting a long time to make this day a reality for western Massachusetts and I couldn’t be happier.”