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State awards $6.3 million in CPF broadband contracts to Verizon New England
Summary
The board authorized Capital Projects Fund awards totaling $6,306,652 to Verizon New England across seven project areas, with Verizon offering a roughly $10.5 million match; staff said the work will improve service for about 3,300 locations and be substantially complete by end of 2026.
The board voted to authorize grants funded through the U.S. Treasury's Capital Projects Fund to Verizon New England for broadband design and build across seven project areas in the state.
Brian, the staff presenter, said Verizon was the sole bidder for these project areas and proposed a match of roughly $10.5 million against $6,306,652 in awards. "These project areas will improve broadband service for about 3,300 locations in Rhode Island," the presenter said, and staff noted the CPF awards are the second of three rounds planned for deployment. The presenter also clarified that Verizon will serve only eligible locations in the listed towns, not every address in each town.
Board members asked about mapping and how overlapping project-area designations work; staff explained that wire‑center boundaries and federal/state mapping reconciliation produce the project-area definitions. The board approved the awards and set a substantial-completion expectation by the end of 2026.
