Eagle Times Staff
Vermont and New Hampshire will split more than $425 million from the federal government.
The funds are part of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program which will provide more than $42 billion nationwide for planning, infrastructure development and broadband adoption programs.
Locally, Vermont will receive $229 million dollars and New Hampshire will receive $196.56 million.
New Hampshire’s Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Commerce Department, was the lead negotiator on the broadband provisions in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
According to a press release from Shaheen’s office, “the new broadband map released by the Federal Communications Commission in May, and lauded by Shaheen, was used to provide a more accurate analysis of services throughout New Hampshire and the nation, and to determine allocations for more rural areas that are in need of federal investments to get their communities online and connected to the rest of the state, country and world.”
“This is the largest broadband grant program from the historic bipartisan infrastructure law that will be a game-changer for communities in New Hampshire, especially in the more rural parts of our state. Getting people online and connected will impact their quality of life, affecting everything from access to health care appointments, business transactions, remote education programs and much more,” said Shaheen, who wrote the broadband provisions that created the program.
In Vermont, Gov. Phil Scott also praised the funding.
“Ensuring access to broadband is incredibly important to our work to revitalize communities in every corner of Vermont,” Scott said. “This significant funding boost builds on the historic investments and progress we’ve made over the last three years, which is very good news.”
“This country once made a historic effort to bring electricity to rural America,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders. “Today we must make every effort to do the same for broadband. In the year 2023, high-speed internet must be treated as the new electricity – a fundamental and essential public utility for every member of the community no matter their income or geography.”
Assisting in the negotiation was Sen. Maggie Hassan.
“I was proud to help negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure law, which made this program possible, and I will continue working to ensure that Granite Staters have the resources that they need to thrive,” she said.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.