As society further develops technologically, reliable broadband connections become an increasingly foundational resource used to access business, education, healthcare, public safety, and more

Isotruss, Inc. received a $124,931 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop crane-less tower technology for expanding broadband access to rural communities. The objectives of the 6-month project ending February 2024 are to generate design and installation plans for deploying towers without cranes, evaluate potential solutions for cost, time, and safety, and locate a proof-of-concept site with an interested customer. By the completion date, Isotruss aims to have a baseline design and analysis ready to prototype and deploy the crane-less tower technology, which will then be commercialized to help establish infrastructure in any location. The SBIR program aims to support scientific innovation through targeted federal funding to strengthen the national economy.

Financial burdens and physical isolation limit rural communities' ability to build the infrastructure to establish high speed broadband connections. Without the requisite infrastructure, rural areas are left to fading technologies, resulting in reduced business, outdated education, and spotty healthcare, to say the least. Isotruss seeks to design a tower and installation system that will eliminate those roadblocks to infrastructure, expanding the reach and quality of internet service to rural america.isotruss will use the phase i project to prove the feasibility of the crane-less tower technology. The objectives are to generate a tower design and installation plans for a crane-less deployment; to evaluate many potential crane-less tower solutions with respect to cost, time, and safety; and to locate a future proof-of-concept site with an interested customer. By the end of phase i isotruss will complete a baseline design and analysis and be ready to move forward with prototyping and a proof-of-concept deployment in future projects. Once developed and tested, the isotruss crane-less tower technology will be commercialized with the intent to assist in establishing infrastructure in any location regardless of distance or topography.