Massachusetts Broadband Institute Launches $145 Million Gap Networks Infrastructure Grant Program

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech (MBI), on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has launched the Broadband Infrastructure Gap Networks Grant Program, a new competitive grant program funded by $145 million from the US Department of Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund that aims to deliver high-speed internet infrastructure to areas that currently lack broadband-level service. The Gap Networks program aims to expand connectivity to unserved and underserved locations throughout the state to help bridge the digital divide, with a particular focus on communities with substantial low-income households and disadvantaged populations. The program is administered by the MassTech Collaborative and the state’s Executive Office of Economic Development to fund projects that will deploy broadband infrastructure in areas that currently lack access to high-speed internet service, which is defined under the federal program guidelines as service that offers download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 20 Mbps. Full details on program requirements can be found here.