Gov. Lamont names ISPs to receive $28M in CT broadband access grants

HARTFORD – The State of Connecticut on Friday released $28 million in grants to various high-speed fiber internet broadband providers as part of the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program.

Administered by DEEP, these grants will support the buildout of broadband infrastructure in more than half of Connecticut’s communities, according to a joint statement from Gov. Ned Lamont and Commissioner Katie Dykes of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). A total of 88 cities and towns in the state, including 26 on the state’s Distressed Municipalities list, will benefit from the grants under this initial round.

The funding comes from Connecticut’s portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Project Fund dollars, which is designed to support access to high-speed internet by funding infrastructure projects to support the goal of universal access to affordable, resilient, and reliable broadband.

“The expansion of broadband infrastructure will make Connecticut’s towns and cities stronger, more resilient, and better positioned to engage in today’s increasingly digitized world,” Lamont said. “Awarding these funds is a critical step in the crucial push to make broadband more widely available.”

The ConneCTed Communities Grant Program was developed with the goal of reaching every unserved and underserved location in the state, preparing our communities with the infrastructure they’ll need in the years to come, according to Dykes.

“Broadband is a necessary part of daily life and bringing high-speed internet access to every community in the state is essential for our future,” Dykes said.

The companies receiving the grants include Comcast (AKA Xfinity), Verizon, Frontier Communications (formerly SNET), and GoNetSpeed.

Verizon provides broadband Internet access to Greenwich and Frontier is based in Norwalk. Verizon received $1.8 million in grant funding to work on 148 projects while Frontier is getting $3.5 million to work on 790 projects. Those particular projects are in rural areas in northwestern and southeastern Connecticut.

“Frontier Communications is honored to receive seven ConneCTed Communities grants from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, supporting our efforts to expand access to high-speed fiber internet across the state,” the company said in a statement. “This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing Connecticut’s digital infrastructure, with our network now reaching over 1 million homes and businesses.”

The second round of funding is expected to distribute another $12.8 million in grants. Overall, there is $40.8 million available for the state-funded program. The application period for the second round opened on Oct. 1, 2024, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted in advance of the December 2026 ARPA deadline.

DEEP hosted a webinar recently for interested governmental agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, municipalities and internet service providers. To watch it, click here or go to https://portal.ct.gov/governor/news/press-releases?language=en_US.