Rise Broadband Grant Analysis and Grant Program Establishment

Challenge: Rise Broadband, Inc. (Rise) is the largest fixed wireless internet service provider by rooftop passing in the US. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the need for high-speed broadband became a priority for most Americans as the world shifted to remote learning and working. Rise’s coverage includes areas lacking connectivity, and they recognized the role they could play in bringing high-speed internet to millions of people by upgrading their network to fiber.

To facilitate this infrastructure upgrade, the Federal Government provides stimulus through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which focus on wireline deployments. Rise needed to not only adjust its physical infrastructure but also create new internal processes to meet these legislative requirements.

Phase I Solutions: Rise Broadband engaged HR Green to provide a solution to accomplish the following:

• Create a geospatial tool using Rise data in existing markets across the US to identify grant-eligible locations.
• Identify grant-eligible locations within Rise’s current footprint that would maximize the Federal funding.
• Create and rough estimate on the cost per passing to make go/no go decisions on pursuing grant funding.
• Develop an approach to state broadband offices to illustrate Rise’s value-add to unserved/underserved communities.

Benefit: Using the tools and experience of HR Green, Rise Broadband has launched a 100% fiber-based service to utilize equal parts investment of $1 billion in non-grant organic builds and $1 billion in grant matching funds to create a network capable of minimum speeds of 100MB/100MB for all premises served.

Phase II Solutions: In collaboration with the Rise Broadband team, HR Green staff leveraged proprietary geospatial processes and incorporated multiple datasets and software to create highly accurate Middle Mile and Last Mile designs. Along with the design, we provide a detailed Bill of Materials and Technical Narratives to support the proposed design and satisfy the grant application requirements.

HR Green created a scalable process by taking a national, programmatic approach to maximize the Capitol Investment. On Rises behalf, HR Green has designed over 25 communities in Illinois. This has created a powerful engine that allows them to submit grant proposals at a rate of 10 – 20 communities a month, which translates to 120-200 fiber miles.

As funds become available by state, HR Green will continue to support their efforts to scale their grant program with these funding programs.

Benefit: The ongoing support provided by HR Green with the more technical details of the grant proposal process and using the foundational tools developed free Rise Broadband staff to look at the road ahead and identify the next project area.