Officials outline $2.5 million broadband grant and plans for a community digital space; Jan. 10 planning meeting set

A project team representative said Groton is part of a roughly $2.5 million broadband/community-connect grant intended to serve about 300 homes, and the board discussed planning for a donated local digital space to expand residents’ access to internet services and training.

The MK Broadband representative (speaker 7) described grant funding that includes approximately $150,000 for a portable community space and equipment allocations such as about $17,000 for library equipment. The rep said a local space called the Sash Space (donated by RuralEdge/Little Edge for this purpose) would be outfitted for video conferencing, remote medical or court access, training and emergency-management command-center capabilities. “We want this to be a very well equipped digital resource that deals with transportation challenges and other challenges we have here in terms of accessing services,” the representative said.

The project is in the planning stage. The representative said there is not yet an executed USDA grant agreement and the timing of that agreement could move the schedule; the group is tentatively targeting an April 1 opening but noted the timeline remains flexible. Board members were invited to a community planning convening scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10 at 8:30 a.m. to gather input from libraries, emergency-management officials, local employers and residents about what the space should include.

The board emphasized the planning nature of the meeting and the importance of defining how the space will be staffed, governed and used before funds are spent. The representative said the team will draft RFP templates and reach out to local contractors to prioritize local hires where possible.