Berkshire Benchmarks Releases State of the County Update

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Benchmarks data team recently released a State of the County Update for 2023. 
 
This brief report builds on the Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County Report published in May 2022 and highlights notable changes in regional indicators over the past year. The berkshirebenchmarks.org website has also been updated to reflect the most current available data. 
 
The purpose of the Benchmarks initiative and report is to highlight the region's successes and challenges.
 
The 2022 Berkshire Benchmarks State of the County report provided a comprehensive overview of our region's performance across eight sectors: Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Health, Housing, Social Environment, and Transportation.  
 
In the future, the Berkshire Benchmarks team will continue to monitor these and other indicators to aid with the regional understanding of changes in these sectors and whether the work happening throughout the region is having the intended impact. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks is a collaborative initiative managed through Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Our sources are publicly available data, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, various Massachusetts data sets, and periodic surveys of Berkshire County residents. 
 
Berkshire Benchmarks aims to work with the community to understand priorities and help inform the region on how we are doing and if we are improving. Berkshire Benchmarks enhances the region's access to quality data and analysis. 

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Gateway Fiber Expansion Nears Completion

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Gateway Fiber is nearing completion of its Pittsfield expansion, bringing high-speed internet access to 2,000 additional homes and businesses.
 
The expansion marks another step toward increasing competition among internet providers and strengthening the city's telecommunications infrastructure, bringing service availability to nearly 6,000 homes and businesses.
 
Construction of the expansion began in July 2025, marked by a ribbon-cutting at the Colonial Theatre.
 
At that event, Senior Vice President of Market Growth Sarah Lang said the company is investing millions into Pittsfield to provide a better internet service.
 
The company also emphasized the importance of affordable internet options, particularly with the increased need for accessible, reliable connectivity for jobs, education, and healthcare.
 
Gateway Fiber is a 100 percent fiber internet provider serving residents and small to medium-sized businesses, said John Meyer, Gateway Fiber's chief customer officer John Meyer said.  
 
It provides a "fairer, friendlier, faster" internet experience through transparent pricing, local customer support and high-speed service, he said
 
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