Senator Hassan Announces $66 Million to NH for High Speed Internet that She Secured
WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan led the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation in announcing $66 million of a total of $122 million in federal funds to bring high-speed internet access to more New Hampshire households and businesses. The funding comes through the Capital Projects Fund that Senator Hassan worked to establish, and New Hampshire’s awards from the Capitol Projects Fund are estimated to serve approximately 24,000 locations total – representing approximately 80 percent of locations in New Hampshire that are still lacking high-speed internet.
To read coverage highlights, see below.
WMUR: New Hampshire receives millions of dollars to help expand broadband internet
Troy Lynch
New Hampshire is getting another $66 million to improve its broadband infrastructure and help more people, especially in rural communities, get fast internet.
State officials estimated that the funding will connect more than 24,000 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet.
"Not having access to high-speed internet is the modern-day equivalent to not having a road built in your town," said U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.
The funds represent the final allotment out of $122 million from the Capital Projects Fund from the U.S. Treasury. White House officials said Hassan spearheaded to effort to get the funding.
"I think it's safe to say it may have never made it through the United States Senate without Sen. Hassan's leadership," said Gene Sperling, senior adviser to President Joe Biden.
Hassan said the money will help rural communities and businesses the most.
"Businesses from all across New Hampshire have made it clear to me that they need high-speed internet access to grow, thrive and be successful," she said. […]
Union Leader: NH gets second round of broadband grant
By Kevin Landrigan
The Biden administration and the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation announced Thursday the state will receive a $66 million grant to extend rural broadband access to nearly 80% of homes and businesses that currently lack it.
Last June, New Hampshire was one of the first four states to receive the first broadband grant — $50 million to the Granite State — that comes from the $10 billion Capital Projects Fund contained in the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
The two grants will provide high-speed access to the internet for 24,000 homes and businesses.
Gene Sperling, senior adviser to President Joe Biden, said Sen. Maggie Hassan was one of a select group of senators to champion this spending.
“Senator Warner, Senator King, Senator Manchin, Senator Hassan really were the ones who drove (the Capital Projects Fund). And so I really think it’s safe to say that this particular project may have never made it through the United States Senate without Senator Hassan’s leadership, and we really would not be doing this announcement today,” Sperling said.
Hassan said this grant provides a significant economic boost.
“Today’s announcement marks a major investment in New Hampshire that will support families, small businesses and our entire economy,” Hassan said. […]
The New Hampshire Bulletin: $66 million to build out high-speed internet access
By Amanda Gokee
New Hampshire will receive an additional $66 million in federal funding to build out broadband infrastructure in rural parts of the state still lacking access to high-speed internet, the congressional delegation announced Thursday.
The latest round of funding comes after an initial $50 million infusion in June. Together, the two installments are estimated to be enough to build coverage to 24,000 addresses in the state, or around 80 percent of addresses without broadband. Right now, that’s 30,000 addresses.
[…] Sen. Maggie Hassan said that the problem is particularly pressing for rural communities that lack access. “We cannot let communities and families fall behind, either because of their locations, or because of the lack of affordability for the internet options that they have,” she said during a call announcing the funding Thursday. […]
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