The Broadband Advisory Committee (BAC) was appointed by the Board of Selectmen in May, 2019 to explore the possibility of bringing broadband (high speed internet with speeds of at least 25 mbps/3 mbps) to Sandwich. Throughout 2019 and 2020 the Committee explored existing broadband technology, its gaps and a variety of solutions with existing vendors and stakeholders in the broadband industry.
Through its research, the Committee concluded fiber-optic broadband is the fastest and most reliable technology now and in the foreseeable future. The Committee therefore shifted focus to explore various ways to provide fiber-optic service with no additional burden on the taxpayers at an affordable price to subscribers. As part of that effort, and with the assistance of a Sandwich-based grassroots group, the Committee advocated for NH Electric Co-op to establish fiber optic broadband as a component of their mission. The NH Electric Co-op’s nonprofit subsidiary, NH Broadband, was set up in response to this steady pressure and the Co-op is on target to provide fiber-optic internet to unserved and under served areas of its 118-town territory over the next few years, much the way rural electric service was attained in the 1940s. We are very grateful to NHEC for its vision and responsiveness.
CURRENT PROJECT STATUS
As of 2023, construction of the "head house," the electronics hub for the network, has been completed on Route 25 in East Sandwich. At the same time, fiber-optic cable has been strung to individual premises with service made available to all households and businesses in town with the exception of residents on two roads -- Tilton Haley Road and Metcalf Road. Current estimates for services on those remaining roads are by year end of 2023 for Metcalf Road and 2024 for Tilton Haley Road.
For more information regarding NH Broadband's services, check their website NHBroadband.com and/or their Facebook page.
If you have any questions or comments, you can also e-mail the Broadband Advisory Committee at the following address:
Sandwich.Broadband@gmail.comBroadband Advisory Committee members: Julie Dolan (Chair), Courtney Delaney, Brad Holmes, Richard Knox, Jeanne Ryer and Josh Ulman.