Fitchburg Native To Lead Broadband Effort

Gov. Deval Patrick has appointed Judith A. Dumont, a Fitchburg native, to be the director of the Westborough-based Massachusetts Broadband Institute.

Dumont has more than 20 years of management experience, including time as an executive with Lightbridge Inc. of Burlington.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute was created in August 2008 by state legislation as a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Its purpose is to expand the broadband infrastructure in the Bay State.

There is $7.2 billion in federal stimulus funding set aside for broadband initiatives. Massachusetts was already awarded $2 million in stimulus for the collection and mapping of broadband availability and infrastructure.