New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state’s ConnectALL program will be a $1 billion initiative to transform digital infrastructure across the state. StateTech reported that ConnectALL is funded through private and public investments and is designed to deliver affordable, reliable broadband to millions of New Yorkers in rural and urban areas.
The pandemic highlighted how many Empire State residents have unreliable or inaccessible broadband, with low-income and marginalized communities most severely impacted. According to StateTech, ConnectALL seeks to close the gap and increase access for every resident by empowering municipalities and state agencies to implement broadband infrastructure statewide.
ConnectAll’s first action item is creating New York’s first in-depth, interactive broadband map. Through an assessment, the state will obtain a detailed view of the availability and reliability of statewide broadband infrastructure. The interactive mapping will enable residents to easily see what services are available and make it easier for officials to distribute targeted investments.
ConnectAll will also establish three “grand” programs to provide communities with funding to cover infrastructure planning, engineering, and construction, including:
- The Local Connectivity Planning and 21st-Century Municipal Infrastructure grant program will provide funding to municipalities and nonprofits and support public infrastructure.
- The Rural Broadband grant program provides matching grants and funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Rural communities will benefit from this grant, which will help complete last-mile connections and middle-mile projects.
- The Connectivity Innovation grant program will provide competitive grants across the state to help fund and support innovation.
- Under the ConnectAll program, the IIJA is working to make permanent a $30 monthly broadband subsidy for low-income households. The program also has an equity component, which aims to retrofit all affordable housing projects with broadband installation.
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