BRISTOL, N.H. (AP) — After years of planning, the New Hampshire town of Bristol launched its new high-speed internet service Thursday.

The Bristol Broadband Now network “opens a lot of doors for our business community, enables opportunities like telehealth for residents and creates more learning opportunities for our students,” Nicholas Coates, town administrator, said in a statement.

The network is the result of planning by the Bristol Economic Development Committee, Coates, and a public-private partnership with eX² Technology LLC of Omaha, Nebraska, which built the physical infrastructure for the fiber optic internet. Hub66, based in Acton, Massachusetts, will provide the internet service to businesses, residents and municipal buildings in the town of about 3,000 people.

The first phase of the project created a 24-mile fiber route from town to the statewide NetworkNH system at Plymouth State University. It will initially connect about 400 residents to the system with plans to expand. It was funded by a $1.52 million federal CARES Act grant.

The second phase, which was recently completed, provides the additional fiber backbone needed to connect all Bristol municipal, educational and commercial buildings. It was funded by $260,000 Northern Border Regional Commission grant and a town appropriation.

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