Broadband is Key to Connecticut's Future

Connecticut's efforts to connect all residents to affordable, high-speed broadband get a $40 million boost when the US Department of Treasury approved the state's plan for using Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund support made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Connecticut estimates that there are over 160,000 locations that still lack high-speed internet access in the state. In July 2021, current-Governor Ned Lamont signed Public Act 21-159, which directed Connecticut's Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to develop and maintain an up-to-date broadband map, with accompanying data, showing the availability and adoption of broadband internet access service in the state, including broadband internet download and upload speeds. The first map is due to be published before December 1, 2022. The law also promotes the build-out of broadband internet in unserved and underserved areas of Connecticut, particularly in urban centers and rural communities, through a grant program—subject to the availability of federal funding—established and administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). 

On August 30, 2022, Connecticut was approved to use $40.8 million in Capital Projects Funds support to connect 10,000 homes and businesses to affordable broadband through the Connecticut Broadband Infrastructure Program. The state is focusing on low-income and multi-family homes and businesses and areas lacking reliable high-speed internet connections. The Connecticut Broadband Infrastructure Program, a competitive grant program, will fund broadband infrastructure that delivers reliable internet service that meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps). For any networks built with Capital Projects Funds support, providers must participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP helps ensure that households can afford the high-speed internet they need for work, school, healthcare, and more by providing a discount of up to $30 per month (or up to $75 per eligible household on Tribal lands). Treasury guidelines also require recipients to consider whether the federally-funded networks will be affordable to the target markets in their service area and encourage states to require that a federally-funded project offer at least one low-cost option at speeds that are sufficient for a household with multiple users.