R.I. receives $21.7M grant to augment local broadband network

WASHINGTON – Rhode Island has been awarded a $21.7 million grant to augment an affordable broadband network in Rhode Island and Massachusetts thanks to funding from the federal Recovery Act, the state’s congressional delegation announced on Monday.
The money will be used to improve access for 50 community institutions and expand high-capacity broadband services for higher education, job training, remote health care and economic development purposes, said OSHEAN, the Ocean State Higher Education, Economic Development Administration Network.
“This grant will ensure our region’s students have data speeds that are second to none, and that we have a key piece of infrastructure for our emerging knowledge economy,” said George Loftus, president and CEO of OSHEAN.
The organization is planning to set up a backbone network across the state called Beacon 2.0, incorporating 90 miles of existing fiber optic cable with 339 miles of new fiber. Beacon 2.0 is designed to connect community institutions and allow interconnection points for local broadband providers in Rhode Island’s five counties and Bristol and Plymouth counties in Massachusetts.
The network will serve up to 830,000 people and 8,000 businesses, OSHEAN said, noting that the project would also create 200 jobs in the fields of network design, project management and construction.
Additionally, the funding will leverage a Round One Public Computer Center grant, providing more than 600 computer and 10 mobile computer centers to state libraries, OSHEAN said.