MBI gathers broadband data for grant

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute is participating in a federal grant program to map broadband information for Massachusetts.

City and town halls are considered important community anchor institutions that will be included on the state and national broadband maps. As part of the grant program, the MBI is required to provide a current snapshot of the broadband services currently used at each city or town hall in the state.

In order to gather this data, the MBI is encouraging cities and towns to complete its online broadband survey. The survey should be completed by a person knowledgeable about the city or town hall’s Internet connections.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration recently announced an expansion of its State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program, which will allow state governments and agencies to seek funding for up to three additional years of broadband mapping and data collection.

The competitive grant will provide funding to support statewide projects that focus on broadband availability and adoption, improve the state’s capacity to compete in the digital economy, and help to expand connectivity among city and town halls, particularly in rural areas of the state.

The MMA is assisting the Massachusetts Broadband Institute in competing for this grant funding. The Massachusetts Broadband Institute is collecting broadband availability data to include in the national broadband map and will submit the data to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. This effort will provide a more accurate picture of broadband coverage in the state and help the MBI target its infrastructure investments where they are needed most.

The supplemental grant applications are due on July 1, with awards being announced no later than Sept. 30.

To fill out the brief survey, click here.

The results of the survey and the MBI’s other mapping projects will be made available to cities and towns.

For more information, or assistance with completing this survey, contact Christine Hatch of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at hatch@masstech.org or (508) 870-0312.

For more information on the mapping project or the MBI, visit www.massbroadband.org.