New York is Working to ConnectALL

New York State is approaching universal broadband through both access and adoption—and recognizes that affordability is a key barrier to adoption. In January 2022, Gov. Hochul unveiled ConnectALL, a $1 billion public-private initiative to deliver affordable broadband to millions of New Yorkers and transform the state's digital infrastructure through new investments. The initiative includes: 

• Statewide Digital Equity Plan and grant program to support New Yorkers' use of the internet to participate in our society, democracy, and economy.
• Rural Broadband Grant Program for areas that lack broadband infrastructure. 
• Local Connectivity Planning and 21st Century Municipal Infrastructure Grant Program for municipalities, non-profits, and other entities to construct open and accessible public broadband infrastructure.
• Affordable Housing Connectivity Program, a partnership with New York Homes and Community Renewal to retrofit affordable housing with broadband installations as part of the agency's overall housing plan.
• Connectivity Innovation Grant Program to develop creative broadband solutions and ensure New York is a global leader in pioneering future breakthroughs.
• Led by the Department of Public Service, to promote the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which can provide eligible New Yorkers a discount of up to $30 a month toward internet service and up to $100 for a new computer or another connected device. In October 2022, Gov. Hochul announced that one million qualifying New York households had enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. New York was then one of the leading states in the nation for ACP enrollment with 30 percent of eligible households taking advantage of this federal benefit. Eligible New York households were saving more than $360 million annually.
• Broadband Assessment Program and Interactive Map, administered by the New York State Department of Public Service. In October 2022, New York's ConnectALL Office submitted over 31,000 addresses to the Federal Communications Commission under the Broadband Data Collection challenge process. The 31,798 records in the State's challenge are all among the 138,598 addresses identified as unserved or underserved by the Department of Public Service's (DPS) Broadband Assessment Program and include evidence that they meet the FCC's definition for inclusion in the federal map. 
• Streamline Broadband Construction by eliminating fees, removing outdated regulations, and leveraging existing state assets.