Broadband is the Future of New Hampshire

According to U.S. News & World Report, New Hampshire is 10th overall in access to broadband, But the state ranks 35th for data speed. BroadbandNow estimates that only 30 percent of the state has access to fiber-optic service and only about 7 percent has access to 1-gig service. On June 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Treasury approved New Hampshire's plan to invest $50 million of the state's Capital Projects Fund allotment for broadband deployment. Although the Capital Projects Fund can support a number of uses that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire is concentrating over 40% of its allocation at this time on deploying reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure. The state has created the Broadband Contract Program, overseen by the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, to offer broadband service providers with a financial incentive to bring service to unserved and underserved addresses in the state—areas/addresses where it may be financially detrimental for providers to attempt to expand. Applications will be scored using criteria that encourage the maximum number of properties to be served at the lowest cost and prioritize broadband networks that will be owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, and co-operatives. New Hampshire estimates that investments made using the Capital Projects Fund will serve 50 percent of locations still lacking high-speed internet access in the state.