To the New Hampshire legislative Fiscal Committee,
We representatives of the undersigned towns were very troubled to see you tabled an item to accept $40 million in federal funding to build broadband to unserved and underserved areas in our State during your meeting on November 18, 2022.
The unserved residents and businesses in our communities have been waiting decades for high-speed internet. The recent pandemic demonstrated the absolute necessity of high-quality affordable broadband to EVERY resident and business in the community.’ Without reliable internet access, children in our community are unable to participate in virtual learning; home-based businesses are unable to participate fully in the digital economy; and residents are unable to perform core functions from home, such as applying for a job online, managing bank accounts and accessing telehealth services.
We understand the issue from the committee’s perspective is a technical question regarding the appropriate funding mechanism. From the towns’ perspective the mechanism for funding broadband expansion is far less important than getting the money out quickly.
If the Committee does not approve the funding at the December 2, 2022 meeting, our state will be left without important broadband funding for an indeterminate amount of time. This CANNOT wait.
A delay means the residents of our towns without reliable internet will miss yet one more build season that could provide us connectivity.
The issue is quite simple, the Federal government has given the State of New Hampshire money to provide reliable affordable internet to those that are unserved. It is the duty of the New Hampshire Fiscal Committee to accept the money now, as a Christmas present to those of us who have been left out all these decades. The work needs to get going.
Town: Alstead
Name: Gordon Kemp
Role: Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Alstead
Name: Matt Saxton
Role: Selectboard Member
Town: Chatham
Name: Susan Laskin
Role: Broadband Representative
Town: Chatham
Name: Ron Briggs
Role: Resident
Town: Alstead
Name: Joel McCarty
Role: Selectboard Member
Town: Chatham
Name: Bert Weiss
Role: Broadband Representative
Town: Chatham
Name: Patricia Pitman
Role: Town Clerk
Town: Chatham
Name: Riley Pitman
Role: Selectman
Town: Croydon
Name: Dale Cunningham
Role: Co-Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Freedom
Name: Melissa Florio
Role: Selectman and Broadband Representative
Town: Hancock
Name: Mollie Miller
Role: Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Ossipee
Name: Matt Sawyer Jr
Role: Town Administrator
Town: Shelburne
Name: Michael Prange
Role: Energy and Technology Committee
Town: Shelburne
Name: Don Kernan
Role: Energy and Technology Committee
Town: Shelburne
Name: Lucy Evans
Role: Selectman
Town: Easton
Name: Zak Mei
Role: Chair of the Selectboard
Town: Freedom
Name: Linda Mailhot
Role: Carroll County Communications District Planning Committee
Town: Newbury
Name: Graham Hoffman
Role: Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Randolph
Name: Kathleen Kelley
Role: Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Shelburne
Name: Ray Danforth
Role: Energy and Technology Committee
Town: Shelburne
Name: Stanley Judge
Role: Chair of the Selectboard
Town: Tamworth
Name: Pat Farley
Role: Chair of the Economic Development Commission and Broadband Committee
Town: Winchester
Name: Natalie Quevedo
Role: Chair of the Broadband Committee
Town: Dalton
Name: Jo Beth Dudley
Role: Selectboard Chair
Town: Dalton
Name: Carol Sheltry
Role: Selectboard
Town: Berlin
Name: Pamela E Laflamme
Role: Director of Strategic Initiatives
Assistant City Manager
Town: Dalton
Name: Tamela Swan
Role: Selectboard
Town: Franconia
Name: Eric Meth
Role: Selectboard Member
Broadband Committee Representative