“Make ready” work is the process of ensuring the utility poles, upon which the fiber-optic cable will be strung, are in suitable condition to receive the cable. This process includes surveying the condition of each pole, determining what improvements, if any, are necessary, and then making those improvements to each pole. Under current Massachusetts regulation, the entity that needs the use of the pole is obligated to pay for this work, but the improvements do not change ownership of the pole. Eversource owns most of the approximately 980 utility poles in Plainfield, and Verizon and the town each own a few. “Make ready” work for Plainfield’s broadband network is estimated to cost $450,000, or approximately 25 percent of the total cost of construction.