Connecticut Working to Ensure Universal Broadband Availability, Affordability, and Accessibility

The number of unserved and underserved locations in Connecticut is estimated to be just under 8,000 (0.57% of all locations in the state). The northwestern corner, as well as rural areas in the east of the state, still have significant concentrations of unserved locations. In addition to access, there are significant challenges the state faces in achieving its universal broadband goals. Across the state, there is a need for greater competition and variation of services so that residents and businesses alike can choose the service that is most suited to their needs while pricing becomes more affordable. According to data collected by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM), 86.7 percent of all eligible locations in the state have a broadband Internet subscription. Undersubscription is concentrated in 1) rural areas in the Northwest Corner and east of the state and 2) more primarily in large cities with higher-than-average poverty levels. These geographic trends point to the relationship between access to high-quality service and adoption and the importance of affordability in increasing broadband adoption. Among Connecticut households that do not subscribe to internet service of any kind, an estimated 18 percent report that a primary reason they do not pay for an internet service at home is an inability to afford service. Poverty is among the strongest correlations with low levels of Internet subscribership in Connecticut and around the country. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's (DEEP) Office of Telecommunications and Broadband works to ensure the universal availability, affordability, and accessibility of high quality, telecommunications services to all residents and businesses in the state. DEEP wrote the state's Initial Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program which will provide $144 million to enhance broadband in the state.