$28M goes to increasing broadband access in 88 Connecticut towns

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — About $28 million in grants were awarded to increase broadband access in 88 towns and cities, according to the office of Gov. Ned Lamont and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.

The release of grants was awarded under the first round of the state’s ConneCTed Communities Grant Program . The second round of funding is expected to provide another $12.8 million in grants.

Lamont’s office said the cities and towns benefitting from these grants include 26 on the state’s “distressed municipalities” list. On the list of 88 are Greenwich, Waterford, Meriden, and East Windsor.

The grants will go to internet providers including Comcast, Verizon, SNET, and GoNetSpeed. Comcast will see about $21 million, for projects in 26 communities.

Funding comes from Connecticut’s part of the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Project Fund, which is meant to support access to high-speed internet through infrastructure projects.

“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 in a statement. “Awarding these funds is a critical step in the crucial push to make broadband more widely available.”

The application period for the second round of grants opened on Oct. 1 and will continue on a rolling basis until funds are dispersed ahead of the December 2026 ARPA funding deadline.

According to Lamont’s office, the second round aims to support infrastructure buildouts and service for multi-dwelling units in distressed municipalities.

DEEP is also administering about $144 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to fund sending broadband infrastructure to remaining unserved and underserved places throughout the state.

Prequalification applications for the program will start being collected by DEEP later this month, officials said.

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