From November 16, 2021 post.
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan is bringing Bristol’s Town Administrator, Nicholas Coates, as her guest for today’s Woodstock Bridge event with President Biden to highlight how the bipartisan infrastructure package will support New Hampshire, including by helping expand access to high-speed internet. This comes after Senator Hassan joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues at the White House yesterday for the signing into the law of the bill.
“Nik Coates knows just how important infrastructure investments are for New Hampshire, and he has worked tirelessly to expand high-speed internet access in particular,” said Senator Hassan. “When I visited Bristol this past summer, I heard from Nik and other local leaders about how federal funding enabled the town to expand high-speed internet, which is vital for small businesses, students, and all Granite Staters – and the work that they have ahead. The bipartisan infrastructure bill that we passed will make a real difference for New Hampshire families and small businesses, and I look forward to having Nik join us for today’s event with President Biden.”
“I am honored to join President Biden, Senator Hassan, and other state and local leaders today,” said Nicholas Coates. “From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to COVID-19 relief funding, we have seen time and time again that constantly investing in infrastructure helps Bristol to thrive. We have revitalized our Historic Central Square, built out more high-speed internet, and invested in wastewater, stormwater, street, and rail trail projects. Senator Hassan and our congressional delegation listened to us, and other New Hampshire communities, about how high-speed internet and so many other infrastructure investments in this bipartisan package will absolutely support our current and future goals. We are proud to serve as a model for rural communities that want to improve their communities through smart investments.”
Senator Hassan helped to negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure package, including key provisions on high-speed internet, passenger rail, coastal resiliency, and cybersecurity. The bill invests $65 billion for affordable high-speed internet access in every home in America, including a minimum of $100 million for New Hampshire. The bill includes a 10 percent set aside to help states such as New Hampshire with high-cost areas where broadband is the most expensive to deploy.
The bill also incorporates elements of bipartisan legislation Senator Hassan authored to support rural broadband using private activity bonds to help pay for high-speed internet infrastructure in unserved locations, an approach that allows state and local governments to access and leverage new sources of capital and attract investment for broadband.
Original source can be found here.
