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NY will use $100M of federal funding to expand high-speed internet connectivity
NY will use $100M of federal funding to expand high-speed internet connectivity
New York will receive $100 million in federal funding to expand access to high-speed internet across the state, the nation’s largest investment in affordable housing connectivity.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is expected to connect another 100,000 homes.
“Long before the pandemic, communities across Upstate New York, from rural communities to bustling city neighborhoods, have struggled to obtain affordable, high-speed internet service,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said in a news release. “These federal dollars will go directly towards closing the digital divide, which means connecting communities to good-paying jobs, better healthcare, and higher-quality education in our schools.”
The federal investment comes from the ARPA’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), a program designed to address the challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural America, Tribal communities, and low- and moderate-income communities.
The CPF aims to ensure all communities have access to a modern infrastructure and the affordable, high-speed broadband necessary to access critical services. CPF funding will be used to upgrade internet access in affordable housing units.
“During the pandemic, we saw how important high-quality broadband is for business, health care, school and more,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. “That’s why, when we wrote the American Rescue Plan, we included robust funding for broadband delivery, which can create new economic opportunities, raise property values and improve people’s life and health outcomes.”
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