A crew contracted by New Hampshire Broadband replaces a pole on Highland Street in Plymouth in 2023 as part of construction of the fiber-optic network that now provides broadband service to NHEC members in that community. (Courtesy NH Electric Cooperative)
Four years ago, COVID-19 lockdowns forced school children and many of their parents in Grafton County and throughout New Hampshire to learn and work remotely from home.
In Grafton County and elsewhere, however, the situation also underscored a fundamental problem: There was not enough access to broadband internet, something that three months into 2024, however, has changed significantly for the better.
Recently, broadband provider Hub66 announced partnerships with the towns of Bristol and Hebron while the Grafton County Commission said it is putting out requests-for-proposal for a county-wide solution.
Hub66 said it was helping the towns of Hebron and Bristol “to create a resilient, fail-safe network and expand internet accessibility throughout the area” that features “symmetrical speeds of up to 8 Gbps,” according to a press release.
Funding for the project came from Hub66 and also included a $995,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission, and American Rescue Plan Act funds from both towns.
Hub66 said the project reinforces the existing network in the towns; creates redundancy that permits additional expansion in Hebron; and promotes the connectivity that “is crucial for economic development, research and development, remote work, and education opportunities,” including at a proposed technology park at Tenney Mountain.
“This collaboration represents a significant step in our mission to enhance internet connectivity for underserved communities,” Hub66 CEO Andrea J. Vient said in a statement.
Hub66 has begun construction of a 25-mile fiber-optic network and said it will complete the Bristol network to Plymouth State University. It will also serve municipal and county locations and extend access to the University of New Hampshire’s IBEAM fiber network, the release said.
Asked about her company versus the competition, Vient said Hub66 was like a “David” among Goliaths with NH Broadband being among the larger in the latter group.
The woman-owned company operates mostly out of New Hampshire while serving the Granite State as well as Vermont. Vient noted she was proud that Hub66 helped bring broadband to the islands of Lake Winnipesaukee and of the strength of the company’s broadband signal.
Hebron Selectman Rich James said the partnership with Hub66 “is transforming our town’s digital landscape and opening up new possibilities for our community. We see this as a plus for both our businesses and residents.”
Additionally, as they’ve been doing since before 2020, private companies have continued to gradually expand their coverage areas, and were joined by a for-profit spinoff of the nonprofit NH Electric Cooperative (NHEC).
Cumulatively, there’s more broadband access now available in Grafton County than before, and that, says County Commissioner Omer Ahern Jr., is a very good thing, even for a self-described Luddite like himself who occasionally uses the internet for work — he is an estate-planning and family law attorney — and who doesn’t mind that his emails don’t pop up instantly, as long as they eventually do.
Regardless, Ahern understands that many other Grafton County residents may want both faster and more robust broadband, and he supports and wants, if possible, the county to help them.
A Wentworth resident, Ahern’s District 3 seat on the Grafton County Commission includes his hometown as well as Alexandria, Ashland, Bridgewater, Bristol, Campton, Canaan, Dorchester, Ellsworth, Grafton, Groton, Hebron, Holderness Orange, Plymouth, Rumney and Warren.
The Grafton County Commission “got into broadband to make sure every home and business in Grafton County has access to broadband,” he said.
“We know that the co-op (in the form of New Hampshire Broadband) is out there and their new broadband business will provide broadband in the town of Wentworth, and we’re not going to compete.”
Ahern said the county got involved in the county-wide broadband effort “because we could get the money,” much of which came in the form of federal grants. The county did have to raise about $15,000, he said, but that sum was in its unused fund balance.
He expects that the county will get several proposals to administer broadband expansion in Grafton County.
“We are moving as full-speed-ahead as we can to make sure that every home and business in Grafton County is covered by broadband,” said Ahern, adding that it’s not the county’s intent to compete with NH Broadband, which will be able to place its lines on the many NH Electric Cooperative poles in the county.
“Wherever NHEC has power poles, that’s where they’re providing broadband,” he explained, “but up north, like in Monroe, the county is probably going to be the sole provider.”
The NH Electric Cooperative continues to use money from a $50 million grant it received in 2022 from the NH Department of Business & Economic Affairs “to provide broadband service to 25,000 locations in 73 New Hampshire towns,” many of them in Grafton County, according to spokesman Seth Wheeler.
Since it was created in 2022, Wheeler said NH Broadband has built fiber-optic networks to serve cooperative members in more than 20 towns.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
