RSA 33:3-g · Broadband Infrastructure Bonds

33:3-g Broadband Infrastructure Bonds. –

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I.

A municipality or communications district formed under RSA 53-G may issue bonds for the purpose of financing the development, construction, reconstruction, renovation, improvement, and acquisition of broadband infrastructure in any locations within a municipality unserved by broadband as defined in RSA 38:38, I(c). Without limiting the foregoing, broadband infrastructure may be the subject of public-private partnerships established in accordance with the provisions of RSA 33:3.

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II.

Bonds issued under this section shall be payable in annual payments so that the amount of annual payment of principal and interest in any year on account of any bond shall be not less than the amount of principal and interest payable in any subsequent year by more than 5 percent of the principal of the entire bond. The total amount of payments shall be sufficient to extinguish the entire bond at such bond's maturity. The first payment of principal on any bond shall be made no later than 5 years and the last payment not later than 30 years after the date issued. Each authorized issue of bonds shall be a separate and distinct loan.

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III.

A municipality, county, or communications district shall not issue bonds for the purpose of financing the development, construction, reconstruction, renovation, improvement, and acquisition of broadband infrastructure in any location within a municipality, county, or communications district unserved by broadband as defined in RSA 38:38, I(c) unless a request for information has been issued, at a minimum, to all providers serving the issuing community in accordance with RSA 33:3-g, IV and such providers have been given 30 days to respond to the request. The request for information shall include, but is not limited to, information identifying addresses within a municipality, county, or communications district, served by broadband as defined in RSA 38:38, I(c). A response shall meet the requirements of this paragraph if it includes, in either map or spreadsheet form, street level information identifying the first and last serviceable address. After completing, issuing, and receiving responses to such request for information, a municipality, county, or communications district may issue a request for proposals for the purpose of engaging in a public-private partnership pursuant to RSA 33:3 or RSA 33-B for the deployment of broadband infrastructure, as defined in RSA 38:38, I(e), and the provision of broadband service as defined in RSA 38:38, I(f). A municipality, county, or communications district may select a proposal based on criteria including, but not limited to, provider ability to deploy, manage, and maintain a broadband network. Requests for proposals shall include, in either map or spreadsheet form, street level information identifying the first and last serviceable address. A municipality, county, or communications district may determine that no provider has met the criteria included in the request for proposals and may issue bonds for purposes pursuant to RSA 33:3 and RSA 33-B, including but not limited to, open networks. If a broadband provider does not respond to a request for information pursuant to this paragraph, the locations served by that broadband provider shall be considered unserved, unless those locations are served by a broadband provider who responded to that municipality's request for information.

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IV.

The department of business and economic affairs shall maintain a list by town of all providers interested in receiving requests for information. The list shall include physical and electronic address information for interested providers and shall be updated as needed, but at least annually. For purposes of issuing requests for information pursuant to paragraph III, a municipality, county, or communications district shall reference the interested provider list maintained by the department and shall issue requests for information to all interested providers in that municipality, county, or communications district, both electronically and by United States mail. Source. 2006, 225:3, eff. July 31, 2006. 2018, 118:4, eff. July 29, 2018. 2020, 28:1, 2, eff. Sept. 20, 2020; 28:6, eff. July 22, 2020. 2021, 198:2, Pt. III, Sec. 1, eff. Oct. 9, 2021. 2023, 79:247, eff. July 1, 2023.

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