New Grants Fund Broadband Improvements in More than Half of Connecticut Towns

By Hugh McQuaid

October 17 @ 5:00 am

Broadband projects in towns and cities across Connecticut will receive a boost through the release of $28 million in grants meant to support the expansion of broadband infrastructure, Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration announced last week.

The grants will offset the costs of projects to bolster access to high-speed Internet at more than 3,000 locations across the state.

Funding for the grants come from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and has been released under the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program. The initial round of grants will benefit 88 towns and cities, which accounts for more than half of the state’s 169 municipalities.

In a press release, Lamont said the funding represented a critical step in Connecticut’s push to make broadband more widely available.

“The expansion of broadband infrastructure will make Connecticut’s towns and cities stronger, more resilient, and better positioned to engage in today’s increasingly digitized world,” Lamont said.

The largest single grant in the program’s first round went to Comcast, which received more than $21 million to support upgrade projects at nearly 2,100 locations spread across more than 75 Connecticut municipalities.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection began accepting applications for the second round of funding earlier this month. The agency is expected to release another $12.8 million in grants to support infrastructure enhancements, including support for projects at multi-dwelling homes in distressed municipalities.

The state legislature approved the funds to build out Connecticut’s broadband infrastructure through a bill in 2021. The legislation passed unanimously through the state Senate.

When the proposal was raised for a public hearing, John Erlingheuser, advocacy director for the state AARP, testified in support of the bill, saying the grants would help Connecticut ensure that its older residents had access to affordable and reliable Internet.

“Among other things, high-speed internet access allows older residents to overcome social isolation through virtual visitation with friends and family, and staying connected to houses of worship, senior centers, libraries and more,” he said.