Written by Will Mitchell, VETRO Cofounder and CEO
More Money, More... Broadband!
The $65B in Broadband Infrastructure Apportionment as Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will create a surge in network planning and grant preparation which we are proud to support with our VETRO FiberMap application and our Broadband Intelligence Platform.
With the President’s all but certain signing of the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, broadband thinking has shifted from a mindset of scarcity, to one of abundance. As the funds become available over the next 24 months, and in combination with funds already approved and in distribution, every US household should be able to be connected to broadband, and to the best broadband service possible, fiber networks. A generational moment indeed.
High Speed Broadband Grant Planning
Every community either is or will be planning to connect their underserved or unserved. Most will be submitting grants to their State Broadband offices, in accordance with requirements already framed for existing ARPA funds, and soon to be framed for the new $42.5B broadband grant program as part of the new bill.
VETRO is proud to support these communities as they embark on preparing their grant applications. When I asked our VP of Broadband, Brian Mefford what he thought, he replied “Communities should start their preparations before they are asked. New sources of data on coverage and speeds are to be welcomed as part of the program, and providers as well as communities can get a head start preparing the most accurate data possible to support their applications.”
Building a New Broadband Legacy, State by State
While there is still some time before we see this new broadband infrastructure funding start to be deployed, billions of dollars have already been appropriated through prior initiatives.
Gary Bolton, CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, noted in his remarks on the bill’s passage that currently only twenty-six states have broadband offices, with others using a designate, which is traditionally made up of a multi-agency broadband taskforce. These groups will be responsible for fielding and assessing grant applications and putting the monies to work quickly, efficiently to bring high speed internet to those who do not have access or whom cannot afford connectivity today.
Grant and Project Documentation: Essential from Day One
As a system of record and a platform for consolidating all of the coverage, speed, location, and connectivity data that is needed to support grant submissions, VETRO’s platform also supports the planning, design, construction and operation of fiber networks, radically simplifying the process for all stakeholders involved in closing the digital divide.
Our customers – ISPs, Rural Electric Cooperatives, Engineering Firms, State and Local Government Authorities, and others, tell us that VETRO is ahead of the pack delivering the mapping and intelligence software platform that facilitates real collaboration. VETRO is able to bring all the parties and relevant data together to support public private partnerships in building the right network for each community. It’s our mission to deliver the fiber management platform that enables our customers to build better connectivity across the US, and we are proud to be able to support them in this historic investment moment.
