Per the State of New York Draft State Digital Equity Plan (November 2023):
Governor Kathy Hochul established ConnectALL Office (CAO) in 2022 to transform New York State’s digital infrastructure so all residents and businesses have access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband for education, economic growth, and full participation in civic life.
This vision is pursuant to the principles also articulated by the New York State Legislature in the 2022 Working to Implement Reliable and Equitable Deployment of Broadband Act (WIRED Broadband Act), which declares that:
- Access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband is essential for education, economic growth, and full participation in civic life;
- The persistence of the digital divide is a key barrier to improving the general welfare;
- The digital divide disproportionately affects communities of color, lower-income areas, rural areas, and other vulnerable populations, and the benefits of broadband access should be available to all;
- A robust and competitive internet marketplace in New York supports general economic development and benefits New Yorkers with improved internet service and affordability; and
- The State has a shared responsibility to assist in ending the digital divide, supporting a more robust and competitive internet marketplace, and carrying out other actions to ensure universal access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband.”
CAO will also take actions to promote the general welfare as it relates to the benefits of broadband access across the following outcome areas:
- Advancement of economic and workforce development goals, plans, and initiatives;
- Improvement in the quality and accessibility of educational resources;
- Improvements in access to and delivery of health services;
- Increased civic and social engagement; and
- Delivery of accessible, navigable public resources.