Treasury Department Announces Approval of Federal Funds to Connect Thousands of Rhode Island Homes and Businesses to Affordable, High-Speed Internet

The US Department of the Treasury announced the approval of $112 million in federal funds for broadband infrastructure and multi-purpose community facility projects in Rhode Island under the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Rhode Island is approved to receive $25 million for broadband infrastructure projects, which the state estimates will connect 7,500 homes and businesses to affordable, high-speed internet and serve about 30 percent of locations still lacking high-speed internet across the state. This funding will go toward the ConnectRI Broadband Deployment Program, a competitive grant program designed to fund last-mile broadband infrastructure projects in areas that currently lack access to internet at speeds of 100/20 Mbps. Rhode Island will invest an additional $81.7 million of CPF funding in a formula grant program available to the state’s 39 municipalities to construct or rehabilitate multipurpose community facilities accessible to all residents. Grants will be awarded based on the municipalities’ population and per capita income, among other factors, with the goal of equitably distributing funding for necessary projects throughout the state while also prioritizing projects in low-income areas. Multi-purpose community facilities funded under this program will offer targeted programming to improve education and student performance, provide workforce training for better and higher-paying jobs, and help residents better monitor their physical and mental health. Together with the state’s administrative funds, these projects represent 100 percent of the state’s total allocation under the CPF program.