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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

NH Gets $50 Million from Feds for Broadband Buildout

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Monday, June 13, 2022   

New Hampshire is getting $50 million dollars from the federal government to expand broadband access.

According to the White House, the money, from the Capital Project Fund in the American Rescue Plan Act, will help connect up to 15,000 New Hampshire homes and businesses, particularly in rural areas.

Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said the Broadband Build Program just released a Request for Proposal for a local internet provider to bring service to parts of rural New Hampshire currently lacking.

"A lot of our communities, particularly rural communities, have struggled to frankly be able to get adequate broadband and high-speed internet," Caswell explained. "Our goal is really to take advantage of these resources, which from our perspective is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "

Among New Hampshire residents, 5% live in areas without broadband infrastructure providing minimally accepted speeds, and more than 60% live in areas with just one internet service provider. Some 10% of households in the state do not have an internet service subscription.

Caswell pointed out having high-speed internet has become even more important since the pandemic. He noted many more people are working or learning from home. He added data collection on what households in what areas have broadband connections is important to ensure the funds go to the right places.

"And we're also working on a mapping effort so that we can sort of track the progress, see where those gaps really are," Caswell emphasized. "And have literally a road map for us to be working from in partnership with the communities to get this done."

He said there also is a Request for Proposal for the broadband mapping initiative. He stressed the influx of funding builds on the state's use of CARES Act dollars; $13 million from the CARES Act went toward bringing access to 4,500 households.


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