Rhode Island
Despite Cox lawsuit, state officials aren’t slowing on high-speed internet program • Rhode Island Current
Rhode Island’s economic development agency is forging ahead with a $108 million high-speed internet program, despite a lawsuit from Cox Communications contesting the data used to develop the plan.
Rhode Island Commerce Corp. on Monday agreed to spend another $434,000 on its contract with international telecommunications firm Altman Solon LLP, according to Matt Touchette, a Commerce spokesperson. A copy of the agreement was not immediately available.
The company was hired in August 2023 for a $1.3 million, two-year contract to help Rhode Island meet requirements tied to various federal broadband expansion programs. That included $108 million awarded to the Ocean State through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The federal funding aims to bring high-speed internet to underserved communities in states nationwide.
Yet the data around which R.I. Commerce built its initial proposal — identifying neighborhoods where internet speeds were slower than federally accepted minimums — is under scrutiny by one of the state’s largest internet service providers.
R.I. Commerce, Cox Communications can’t connect on broadband access map
The Sept. 23 lawsuit filed by Cox Communications asks a Providence County Superior Court judge to stop R.I. Commerce from proceeding with its broadband access plan, which has already received preliminary approval from federal regulators. A final proposal, due July 2025, must also be approved in order to receive federal funding.
Cox alleges that the state’s plan relies on inaccurate and outdated broadband maps, which incorrectly classified 30,000 homes statewide, including affluent areas in Newport and Westerly, as “underserved communities” in need of broadband access. Cox contends that it already provides high-speed internet to these areas, accusing the state of mismanaging federal funding at the expense of residents who truly need broadband access.
Touchette said in an interview on Monday that the increase in funding for Altman Solon is unrelated to the pending lawsuit. Instead, Touchette pointed to new and updated federal requirements for the BEAD program as reason for “cost overages” beyond what the existing contract envisioned.
For example, federal regulators recently released new guidance for states on incorporating low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites into their plans. The satellites are typically used to bring internet to remote or otherwise inaccessible locations, and are not expected to significantly change Rhode Island’s existing plan, according to Touchette. In order to qualify for full federal funding, the state has to incorporate the new rules regarding LEO satellites anyway.
To Karl Wadensten, a Commerce board member, the extra funding to Altman Solon is a no-brainer.
“Either you’re going to spend the money on the contract, which gets offset when you get the $108 million, or you don’t spend it and you don’t qualify for federal funding,” Wadensten said in an interview on Wednesday.
Underlying the expense is the lack of in-house expertise among state officials to comply with the avalanche of federal requirements. Wadensten suspects Rhode Island is not alone in this.
“No one in Rhode Island knows how to do this, but I don’t think anyone in any of the states knows,” Wadensten said.
Charlie Meisch, a spokesperson for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said the BEAD program was intended to be flexible based on the “changing realities that states are facing.”
“We continue to issue guidance and technical assistance to support the states in this important program, and one of our ongoing top priorities is equipping the states with the tools they need to run a successful grant program,” Meisch said in a statement Wednesday.
Calling in the experts
Anticipating the wave of federal funding available for broadband programs, Rhode Island lawmakers passed legislation in 2022 to create a state broadband coordinator position and a complementary, 12-member advisory panel. Mark Preston, vice president of construction in the eastern region for Cox, is one of the members on the broadband advisory council.
Former state Rep. Deborah Ruggiero, who sponsored the 2022 bill and sits on the state broadband advisory council, said it was unrealistic for the state broadband coordinator to handle all elements of Rhode Island’s broadband plan alone.
“The federal regulations apply the same to every state in the country,” Ruggiero, a Jamestown Democrat, said in an interview Wednesday. “Virginia has 20 staff devoted to broadband. Maine has eight. We have two people within Commerce.”
Hence, why Commerce sought outside expertise to develop the state’s broadband infrastructure plan, including developing and implementing the components of its BEAD program.
Altman Solon, selected through a competitive bidding process, describes itself as a leading international telecommunications, media and technology strategy consultant firm, with its own proprietary network planning tool to help internet service providers and state governments expand broadband coverage and comply with federal funding requirements.
Swope Fleming, a partner in Altman Solon’s Boston office, declined to comment on the firm’s work for R.I. Commerce when reached by phone Wednesday.
No one in Rhode Island knows how to do this, but I don’t think anyone in any of the states knows.
– Karl Wadensten, R.I. Commerce board member
The original, August 2023 work order does not specifically mention mapping in the scope of company work, but requires the firm to help identify and plan for how to serve neighborhoods in need of expanded broadband access.
Cox in its lawsuit alleged the state erred in its mapping, relying on consumer-reported, free speed tests through a company called Ookla, that were “layered” over existing federal broadband information for Rhode Island. However, no one, including Cox, has actually seen the data used to create the state broadband maps, which do not align with the company’s own data or other publicly available resources, according to the lawsuit.
Not for lack of trying. Cox submitted a public records request for the information, but was told it would take 3,440 hours for R.I. Commerce to compile and review, with a corresponding $52,000 cost for labor.
Without this information, Cox maintains it did not get a fair chance to protest the state broadband maps during the 38-day public challenge period, which ended July 6. The internet provider also said it did not have time to run the 105,000 speed tests needed to formally challenge the map based on the state requirements.
The extra funding for Altman Solon’s contract also covers the cost to respond to information requests from internet service providers, Touchette said. He did not directly name Cox or the lawsuit in his explanation.
“We attempt to be maximally responsive to any information request we receive, and we want to be sure our responses are technically sound,” Touchette said. “This is true at all times but was especially prudent given recent events.”
Touchette previously refuted the claims made by Cox in the lawsuit, in turn accusing the company of trying to undermine the state’s broadband infrastructure rollout plan because it could help competing internet service providers.
Ruggerio labeled the lawsuit a “PR stunt.”
“The NTIA has indicated the process was fair, equitable and transparent,” Ruggiero said. “Cox was at the meetings; they know exactly what the process was. Now, they are having a temper tantrum because they can’t get all of the $108 million that’s coming to Rhode Island.”
“There’s no harm to Cox,” Ruggerio continued. “They are free to bid like every other vendor.”
Regardless of Cox’s intentions, it’s possible state broadband maps could look different than what Cox’s internal data suggests, said Don Nokes, president and cofounder of IT services firm NetCenergy. That’s especially true for “last-mile” physical infrastructure that connects the larger network to an individual home or business.
“The last mile map is constantly being updated,” said Nokes, whose Warwick-based company helped develop last-mile infrastructure plans for several area colleges and universities. “It’s a moving target. If two different people are collecting the data, they are not going to be in sync.”
Bill Fischer, a spokesperson for Cox, reiterated the company’s concerns over “inaccurate and manipulated” maps and data in a statement Wednesday.
“We have significant concerns about how Commerce is spending these precious one-time federal dollars to build redundant broadband internet infrastructure in some of Rhode Island’s wealthiest communities,” Fischer said. “We’ve made several requests for the rationale and data they used to make their determinations since their mapping contradicts our network’s capabilities and our own speed test results as well as the FCC’s National Broadband Map – but we have been rebuffed each time.”
Cox is the fifth-largest internet service provider and largest private broadband company nationwide, serving 7 million homes and businesses across 18 states. In Rhode Island, it competes primarily with Verizon, as local internet service providers have largely disappeared, although Block Island began its own municipal broadband service in 2023.
The lawsuit in Providence County Superior Court remains pending, according to online court records.
Updated to include comments from former state representative Deborah Ruggiero and spokespeople for Cox Communications and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
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Rhode Island
He grew up in the kitchen. Then he rewrote the menu, and the future of his parents’ restaurant – The Boston Globe
He became obsessed with driving around, searching for any local farm or fisherman on a dock and bugging them to see if they, too, wanted to help him with his vision.
His menu now, which reflects a reinvention, leans into a new way to present New England seafood for an old suburban fishing town, serving snacks like a smoked Rhode Island bluefish paté, raw New Bedford sea scallops with sesame and crispy shallots, chowder with quahogs and fermented hot sauce. He also makes his own pasta with milled local grains.
Today, Dion has largely taken over the business, although his mom can still be found in the kitchen.
“If you’ve had a piece of swordfish at S.S. Dion in the past 43 years, she’s grilled it. And she doesn’t want that to end,” said Dion. “She loves it, and wants to work forever.”
His father visits every day for an hour to keep track of “all of my numbers.”
“I do it all on a computer, and he’s got every, every penny of it on paper,” said Dion.
The reimagined version has had a lot of success, growing 300 percent over the last five years.
What to eat: Try any of the snacks to start with, but be sure to get at least one of their house-made pastas for the table to share: a black spaghetti puttanesca with fried squid, anchovies, Calabrian chilies, and braised tomato. A bowl of gemelli with house-made fish sausage, rapini, pangrattato, and aglio e olio. A roasted mushroom campanelle with sautéed leeks, Brussel sprouts, tarragon, and tender pea tendrils. A perfect bolognese. There are also comforting staples from S.S. Dion’s past life: “The chicken parmesan will be on that menu for my whole life,” said Dion. “But there’s a fermented hot sauce martini on there as well.”
“I want to have that spectrum of people who have always come into S.S. and ordered what they love and remember,” said Dion. “But also there might be something exciting for someone else in their party who is more adventurous.”
You can get three courses for just $40 per person if you order from their prix fixe menu. Your options include local crudos; a funky caesar with smoked Rhode Island bluefish and sourdough croutons, calamari from Point Judith, all sorts of scratch-made pastas, and plenty of desserts.
Dion said his fries take three days to prepare, and he makes every part of their burger from scratch (an “everything” milk bun, house bacon, crispy onions, a 21-day dry-aged burger bun from Blackbird Farm slathered in a special sauce) other than the cheddar cheese it is topped with.
“The world just seems to get more and more artificial, and there’s a really blurry line between what is human and what is manufactured,” he said. “It just feels good to be authentic to my place.”
What to drink: Start off with a bang and get the “Low Tide Hot N’ Dirty,” which uses a nori-infused Lime Rock gin, fermented green chili, yuzu, and topped with a spicy seaweed chip. Or their bacon fat-washed maple old fashioned. The beer list has a ton of local brews from around New England, while the wine list has some interesting choices for the area: a Primitivo from Puglia, an Austrian riesling, and a chenin blanc-viognier from Napa.
Don’t forget dessert: The bananas foster bread pudding is baked in a cast iron pan drizzled with rum caramel and topped with pecans and vanilla ice cream. The chocolate pot de creme uses miso caramel, beetroot meringue, salted cashew crumble, and fennel. Or you can order a basque cheesecake topped with flaky sea salt and orange zest, or a traditional affogato that’s drowned in a double shot of espresso from Borealis Coffee Company, a small-batch local specialty roaster.
Final say: S.S. Dion is one of those legacy restaurants that found further success after reinventing itself when the second generation took over. Dion has dreams of opening his own restaurant with a different concept and to potentially do it in Providence. He’s looking for locations, but isn’t ready to sign a lease yet.
“I’m really happy with where S.S. is now,” said Dion. “But what chef doesn’t have dreams of opening a dozen more restaurants?
“I’d say that’s what’s next,” he added. “I’d like to start something else soon.”
S.S. Dion, 520 Thames St., Bristol, R.I., 401-253-2884, ssdion.com. Raw bar $3.5-$165; salads $13-$18; snacks $9-$25; scratch pasta $14-$38; entrées $25-market price; Sides and sauces $1-$7.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Newest clergy sex abuse lawsuit bill gives victims ‘hope,’ Neronha says
A new bill gives clergy sex abuse victims a path to sue the institutions that may have been responsible for their abuse as children.
PROVIDENCE – Victims of clergy sex abuse scored a long-sought victory in the Rhode Island Senate on Wednesday, June 3.
Legislation to allow the victims to sue the Catholic Church – and any other institution that failed to protect them from molestation when they were children – won unanimous Senate approval and now goes to the House for final votes.
The fast action from Senate Judiciary Committee approval – to a full Senate vote – within an hour and a half was not unexpected after the announcement on Monday of a compromise backed by the Senate’s top-tier Democrats, including Senate President Valarie Lawson, Majority Leader Frank Ciccone and Senate Judiciary Chairman Matthew LaMountain.
If passed, as now appears likely, the legislation will allow the victims of sexual abuse by clergy to sue the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and any other entity that knew, but failed to stop – or concealed – the abuse they suffered as children at the hands of trusted elders.
The legislation would also provide the long-ago victims – many of them now in their 60s and 70s – with a two-year window to revive claims currently barred by expired time limits.
The compromise – after years of pleas and inaction – follows the long-awaited release on March 4 of Attorney General Peter Neronha’s report detailing the systematic cover-up by the Catholic Church of the sexual abuse of more than 300 Rhode Island children.
His report laid bare, for the first time, the scope of more than a half century of alleged child sexual abuse by Rhode Island Catholic clergy and the breadth and depth of the alleged cover-up, which often included destroying key files or shuffling priests from parish to parish, where they would reoffend.
Sen. Mark McKenney, the lead Senate sponsor, told colleagues that the proposed new law not only states “this conduct unacceptable, but from now on, the institutions that have enabled it will be held accountable as well.”
As to whether the law would survive a legal challenge, McKenney said the Rhode Island Constitution “contains a provision that is somewhat unique in the United States: a victims’ rights clause. That provision has been largely overlooked in the debate that’s gone on about the constitutionality of this and … previous versions of this bill,” but retired U.S. District Judge William Smith drew attention to it when he testified.
He said Article 1, Section 23 “of our constitution provides that crime victims, including child sexual abuse victims, not only may receive compensation from perpetrators, but also, and this is a quote from the constitution, ‘Shall receive such other compensation as the state may provide,’ with that power ‘entirely committed to our authority as the General Assembly.’”
Co-sponsor Dawn Euer applauded “the victims and survivors, both the ones that we know of and the ones that we don’t, as well as the ones that we have lost. The strength and courage that it takes to go through what [these] people have gone through … is incredible.
“And then to be able to come up here and advocate …. for passage of this legislation over years [of] legislative turmoil and back again, it’s really incredible the strength and determination that you all have shown,” she said to the group of survivor-advocates in the Senate gallery.
“We get used to it,” she said of the process by which “the proverbial sausage is made. But for issues like this that have real impacts on people’s lives, it can be an additional trauma,” she said of the year after year of public hearings and testimony, followed by inaction.
On Wednesday, she said, the Senate sent the “strong signal that Rhode Island stands with survivors and victims.”
This story has been updated with new information.
A rising tide of beach garbage plagues local wildlife. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.
A wide array of beach trash found on Napatree Point, from balloons and ribbons to Styrofoam, cellophane, nylon rope, bottle caps and a hypodermic needle. Waves break plastic into tiny particles that mix into beach sand and are ingested by marine life. Photography courtesy of Robert L. Mitchell
It’s easy to overlook the detritus along Rhode Island’s shoreline, but as the amount of beach litter has increased over the last few years, its effect on seabirds, seals, fish and other wildlife has risen dramatically.
Between 2011 and 2023, the Mystic Aquarium animal rescue program admitted fifty-eight seals into rehabilitation due to entanglements.
“Between 2024 and 2025, we have already passed that number, with fifty-nine entangled animals reported in just a year and a half,” says MaryEllen Mateleska, the aquarium’s senior director of education and conservation.
During an early summer walk at Watch Hill’s Napatree Point, much of the litter wasn’t noticeable at first because it had been ground down into little pieces along the high-tide mark. So it came as a surprise when my wife and I, after picking up everything we could find on a milelong stretch of sand, came away with a grocery bag full of trash. Most of it wasn’t whole bottles or cans, but micro trash — bits of things that had been pulverized by the surf.
Our haul included fifty-seven pieces of cellophane, twenty-five balloons (many with ribbons attached), twenty-four bottle caps, twenty-four pieces of nylon rope and netting fragments, twenty-four hard plastic fragments and ten cigarette butts (the plastic-based filters are not biodegradable). We also picked up fishing line, rubber lobster claw bands, tin foil, a shoe heel, one plastic bottle, one toothpaste tube and a syringe — all in the off-season.
“We are seeing more smaller plastic particles make their way to the beach,” says Mateleska.
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The litter accumulates from trash left on the shoreline, refuse that blows in from cars, bins and local roadways, and garbage that travels to the ocean by way of rivers. Waves then break down the plastics into smaller pieces of micro- and nanoplastics.
“Plastic pollution is incredibly dangerous to aquatic species,” she says. Fish and other animals ingest the microplastics and can become entangled in ribbons, nets and fishing lines. Other items that entangle wildlife include six-pack ring holders, hair ties, fishing line, netting or pieces of netting, fishing lures, hooks and plastic bags.
Sea birds are especially vulnerable because they use those bits of fishing line, rope, string and other materials to build their nests. Balloons, in particular, are deadly to seabirds, which often mistake them for jellyfish or other prey.
“Plastics are now in every ecosystem, almost every seabird, and almost every human body,” Mateleska says, with the long-term health impacts unknown.
They also take an extremely long time to break down, which is harmful to the state’s delicate coastal ecosystem.
“[Plastic] material that is in the environment may present itself on a shoreline very far away many years or decades later,” says Dave McLaughlin, sustainability coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
___________________________
What You Can Do
Beach walkers can help by picking up garbage wherever they go to enjoy the outdoors. But you don’t have to go to the beach to help. Better management of beach trash starts at home, Mataleska says.
“Refuse single-use plastics and look for sustainable alternatives, pick up trash wherever and whenever you see it, and support legislation that stops plastic at the source,” she advises.
Volunteer for coastal cleanups, use reusable materials, carry in and carry out your trash, recycle, and don’t litter. And consider joining a nonprofit group such as those sponsored by Coastodians (coastodians.org) or Save the Bay (savebay.org) that organize beach cleanups. When it comes to beach trash, even small groups can make a big difference.
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