Caswell: Broadband buildout is a critical next step in NH’s economic expansion
Among the lessons we all learned during the pandemic was how critical access to the internet became.People were not only working from home, but registering their cars, ordering takeout, watching first-runmovies, visiting their doctors, and their kids were doing homework, all online. A lot of people haveportrayed providing high-speed internet access as a modern version of the electrification of America backin the 1930s. That is why the state’s Economic Recovery and Expansion Strategy (ERES), released in2021, has one of its five strategic goals as “Recognize the Role of Infrastructure in Driving the Economy.”Universal broadband access, for businesses and citizens alike, is vital to achieving this goal, and thestate is moving fast to do so.
On Oct. 19, the Governor and Executive Council approved a $50 million contract with the NewHampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) to build out high-speed fiber optic broadband to more than23,200 locations statewide. These are primarily rural locations that currently have slow speeds or noservice at all.
How fast is high-speed? For this program, we require the new service to be at least 100 Mbps upload anddownload. NHEC is offering speeds up to 20 times that with the planned upgrades. The reason for this issimple. We are building this network for now and for the future, and these speeds meet the needs of mostresidential and commercial users.
When the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) reviewed all the applications for this $50million program, we discovered two things. First, there are internet providers that want to provide thisfuture-proof broadband service to the state. This was a competitive process, getting the most for NewHampshire at the best cost. This approach proved the potential for extensive broadband buildout inunserved and underserved areas. Second, New Hampshire’s competitive approach serves more locationsthan other states. For comparison, Vermont will spend $90 million to provide access to around 14,000locations. Other states have different funding approaches, which will serve their needs. However, NewHampshire’s approach of using its funds for rapid, streamlined buildout shows promise.
To keep this success moving, BEA has opened a second fund round, dedicating another $40 million tothis initiative. We expect the state to receive more competitive bids and, like before, directly fund ourstate’s broadband buildout. Beyond that, BEA will dedicate tens of millions of dollars for local grants tocomplete buildout in the rest of the state. In addition, the state will release a digital equity plan in 2023that will identify gaps – and potential solutions – in areas such as digital literacy, affordability, and accessto community services.
Beyond making sure every person, organization, and business has access to broadband, BEA and thestate are being aggressive because we are looking beyond today. Having a state fully wired withbroadband has incredible benefits for energy, health care, housing, education, and more. It is why ERESmade it one of its goals. The state’s future businesses and workforce will require such connectivity, andthis is especially true of the millennials – and increasingly, Gen Z – making New Hampshire home andbecoming its workforce. However, this only continues when the state continues its commitment to makingsure everyone has fast and reliable internet access.
Taylor Caswell is commissioner of the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Caswell: Broadband buildout is a critical next step in NH’s economic expansion
