Nashua Biz Gets Tech Grant to Expand Broadband

NH Optical Systems has been awarded the Technology Innovation Grant to research and design the first software-defined network services in New Hampshire.

The Network New Hampshire Now (NNHN) Middle Mile Fiber network, in partnership with University Systems of New Hampshire (USNH) was a sub-recipient of the Federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant.

The project will extend the platform for Internet access and broadband communications to many areas of New Hampshire that previousy had limited or in many cases, no service.

According to a statement on the NHOS website:

In adherence with the spirit of the BTOP initiative, NHOS will build and maintain an open access, non-discriminatory dark fiber system that when complete, will be the technology highway available to any person or organization that wishes to use its tremendous bandwidth for their communications traffic. Working with our selected construction contractor Waveguide, Inc., NHOS will “hit the ground running” setting an aggressive pace that will keep us ahead of the project timeline.

The grant is funded by the New Hampshire Innovation Research Center (NHIRC).

“We are proud of the technologies and talent we’ve employed to bring our company to this point, and the market has clearly indicated an opportunity for a next-generation service product offering,” said Rob Carmichael, president of NHOS. “If this project is successful, we will be able to help smaller New Hampshire businesses cost-effectively enter the broadband market, hire more technical personnel – including UNH students – to support our growing clientele, and ensure growth and sustainability of the fiber optic networks extending across the state.”

According to Scott Valcourt, director of strategic technology at UNH, “software-defined networking (SDN) connects big broadband users to technology resources across the country and around the world. Rather than transfer every packet of data, one-by-one, across the Internet, SDN establishes flows of communication based on the type of data being transmitted—voice, video, text, images, transactions. When voice and video are on busy networks, traditional packet networks drop some of the packets which we notice as noisy calls, choppy video and interruption of Internet-based communication. SDN flows, when established between a sender and receiver, allow the time-sensitive data to move without dropping packets and the flows are faster than traditional packet-based networks. This technology was developed in other parts of the U.S., but as a result of new, dark fiber optics, it now becomes possible to consider its use here in New Hampshire.” 

“The funding that more than 120 New Hampshire companies, which now include NASHUA – NHOS, have received through NHIRC has led to the creation of over 650 jobs and greater than $900 million in follow-on capital,” said Marc Sedam, executive director of the NHIRC. “Granite State Technology Innovation Grants promote promising university-industry collaborations that turn research, conceptualization, and product development into clear economic impact.”

Granite State Technology Innovation Grants support projects under development in the private sector. Projects vary from proof-of-concept to a substantial product or process design. Companies are required to provide matching dollars or services and to receive additional NHIRC-sponsored training in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant writing in an effort to improve leverage of NHIRC dollars.

To learn more about the NHIRC and how to apply for funding, visit http://www.nhirc.unh.edu.