NYS Receives Additional $664 Million in Federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Funds

The NYS ConnectALL Office has been allocated more than $664 million in funding from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The BEAD allocation is the largest to date made to the ConnectALL program and will be used primarily to bring fiber optic infrastructure to unserved communities.

The State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022-23 budget allocated more than $1 billion in current and anticipated state and federal funds to the ConnectALL initiative, aimed at transforming the state’s digital infrastructure to connect all New Yorkers to the internet. Earlier this year, LeadingAge NY reported that the ConnectALL Office had received $100 million in federal funding to further its efforts by connecting nearly 100,000 low-income housing units to affordable high-speed internet. In addition to the “Affordable Housing Connectivity Program” and the new funding to reach unserved and underserved locations, ConnectALL includes grant programs to invest in public broadband infrastructure and support digital inclusion and education.

NYS will submit an initial grant distribution proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval and will then compile applications from internet service providers to build new broadband infrastructure throughout the state. The approved initial proposal and the applications will then be submitted to NTIA for final authorization to distribute the grants.

Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866