Keene Sentinel

State and local officials, telecommunications leaders, and advocates for high-speed Internet gathered at Keene State’s Alumni Center to connect with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission. The group of 10 officials and advocates reviewed the state’s efforts to expand the reach of broadband and fiber optic Internet to underserved communities and residents. Sen. Hassan recognized that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed the US Senate on Aug.

Consolidated Communications will provide access to high-speed Internet for thousands of people in New Hampshire as soon as 2024 after the New Hampshire Executive Council approved giving it $40 million in federal funding. The panel unanimously authorized using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money for a three-year contract to make fiber-optic broadband available to nearly 25,000 homes, including almost 3,100 in Cheshire County. Consolidated has also pledged to add another 32,000 homes in the project area using its own money, but it didn’t have a county-by-county breakdown for these additiona

Gov Chris Sununu (R-NH) has announced $50 million in funding for rural broadband and $35 million for people facing housing insecurity with money from the CARES Act. He said the federal funding will also go to private institutions of higher learning, and homeless shelters. The goal of the broadband program, Gov Sununu said, is to connect “the last mile,” the homes and businesses that still don’t have access to reliable Internet. He also said that schools, libraries and other places where Internet use is essential will be included.