Gov Sununu (R-NH) signs broadband infrastructure bill into law

Gov Chris Sununu (R-NH) signed a bill this that supporters say will improve high-speed Internet access in rural areas like the Monadnock Region. NH Senate Bill 170 allows municipal governments to issue bonds for building broadband infrastructure in areas not served by a commercial provider. NH State Sen Jay V. Kahn (D-Keene), introduced the bill in January 2017 and described the legislation as an attempt to provide rural communities with an opportunity to “level the playing field” by giving them an important economic development tool. According to State Sen Kahn, opposition to that bill grew out of a concern among some legislators that it would allow municipalities to compete directly with businesses. Kahn said that criticism didn’t apply to SB 170, arguing that the present bill allows for a wide range of public-private partnerships for municipalities looking to expand broadband services.