Vernonburg Group and FarrPoint join forces to support state broadband program rollouts

New partnership will eliminate the guesswork for policymakers, providing a “one-stop shop” in next phase of broadband planning and deployment

Connectivity specialty firms Vernonburg Group and FarrPoint US announced a new partnership to support state and territorial governments as they implement broadband deployment programs and leverage federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF), Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and Digital Equity Act (DEA) Program to deliver Internet for All. States and territories who engage with the firms will immediately benefit from expanded resources and expertise.

States and territories are now in the process of developing their BEAD Five Year Action Plans, Digital Equity Plans, and BEAD Initial Proposals, which detail where and how states and territories will allocate BEAD funds to subgrantees. But BEAD Five Year Action Plans and Initial Proposals are just the beginning. States and territories will need to identify eligible locations, issue calls for proposals, select subgrantees, and then oversee their programs to ensure subgrantees meet their buildout and service commitments.

Vernonburg Group and FarrPoint are uniquely qualified to support states and territories in this work and will provide them with a one-stop shop of support services from program design to mapping to subgrantee monitoring and program evaluation. This will enable states to progress efficiently and effectively to convert funding into delivery of affordable high-speed broadband to all of their citizens.

Paul Garnett, CEO and founder of Vernonburg Group, said, “Affordable high-speed internet connectivity is now essential to everyday life. Unprecedented funding for broadband has created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring affordable high-speed connectivity to every unserved and underserved household in the United States, as well as programs that increase adoption of digital services. With this funding, universal and affordable high-speed connectivity can be achieved. We are excited to partner with FarrPoint and leverage our combined expertise to help state and territorial governments get the most out of available broadband funds.”

Dr Andrew Muir, CEO and founder of FarrPoint, said, “We’ve accumulated a lot of experience on the selection of broadband suppliers through major procurement programs, together with deployment management that follows. There are a lot of learnings that we will apply to the U.S. as the states and territories go through these next phases, and we are thrilled to partner with Vernonburg Group to deliver this breadth of experience to new clients.”

“It is essential to make best use of these funds and target investment where the benefits will be most recognized,” Dr Muir added. “Signing a contract is not the end of the job and both grant holders and supplier recipients need to be prepared for the challenges of rollout. We bring significant experience of these stages, and our knowledge will help US states and territories meet these challenges ahead.”

Both Paul Garnett and Dr Andrew Muir will attend the U.S. Broadband Summit in Washington, D.C. on 15-17th of November to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the BEAD rollout and how the new partnership can support states at a crucial inflection point.

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About Vernonburg Group

Based on Savannah, GA, Vernonburg Group advises governments, internet service providers, connectivity hardware and solution providers and non-profits on various aspects of closing the digital divide. This includes digital equity program design and implementation, large scale project feasibilities, public and private sector fundraising, broadband mapping and economic modelling, broadband policy and regulation, and market research and risk assessment.  For example, Vernonburg Group is advising the State of Vermont’s Community Broadband Board (VCBB) on development of its BEAD Five Year Action Plan, Digital Equity Plan, and BEAD Initial Proposals.

More: vernonburggroup.com

About FarrPoint

FarrPoint, established in 2006, is an independent connectivity and smart technology advisory firm. It has been advising the UK and Canadian governments on broadband and mobile infrastructure programs, including the nationwide Gigabit program in the UK, and has recently established their US subsidiary in Boston, MA.

The FarrPoint team comprise a mix of consulting technologists, economists and data analysts who work together to provide advice on the commercial and technical considerations of the design of national and regional connectivity strategies, technical planning and modelling, procurement support and implementation assurance.

More: farrpoint.com

@farrpoint