Connecticut announces $10M in internet grants with more funding available

Connecticut is taking steps to bridge the digital divide and connect thousands of residents to reliable, high-speed internet service.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is announcing another round of awards through the state’s ConneCTed Communities Grant Program, with approximately $6.7 million in funding still available after this distribution. In this second round, DEEP will deliver nearly $10 million in grants to internet service providers for broadband expansion projects throughout the state.

The new investment advances the state’s commitment to expanding fast, affordable internet service for residents, while bringing the total amount of awards to $34 million.

Sourced from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, the over $40 million program releases funding opportunities for pre-qualified providers that fuel economic growth, educational opportunities and access to vital services.

This award announcement features eight grants that will fund broadband expansion projects around the state. These projects will build out broadband infrastructure in Connecticut’s underserved communities, including an estimated 3,802 residences and businesses in 44 cities and towns.

The largest grant, nearly $5.1 million, will be earmarked for a project led by Frontier Communications. The expansion project will construct new reliable infrastructure that can support approximately 504 locations in the project area, which includes Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Litchfield, Morris, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Watertown and Winchester.

The ConneCTed Communities program invites applicants to engage with several of the state’s broadband initiatives, including supplementing over 1,500 community anchor institutions that facilitate access to high-speed internet service.

DEEP is also the administrator of the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which delivered $144 million to the state for internet expansion initiatives.

While the program is not currently accepting applications, DEEP is anticipated to announce BEAD awards once federal and state oversight on existing applications has concluded.

So far, the state’s broadband expansion efforts have resulted in nearly 850,000 new gigabit speed-eligible locations statewide, according to state officials. This number is up from nearly zero in 2022.

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