New York will use $100 million in federal grants to expand high-speed Internet access to low-income households across the state.
The announcement was made by Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democratic congressmen from New York. They are funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (American Rescue Plan Act, ARP) that in this case will benefit approximately 100,000 homes, he explained. Daily News.
Additionally, Hochul’s “Connect All” broadband initiative has set aside $1.2 billion to expand Internet access statewide.
The announcement comes a week after Mayor Eric Adams unveiled the expansion of “Big Apple Connect,” the city’s own broadband network initiative. The program provides free or discounted cable and Internet service to 202 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments.
“Affordable and reliable broadband access is essential to connecting New Yorkers with work, education and government services, but it is still out of reach for too many families,” the governor acknowledged.
The federal funds will be coordinated with the state’s Affordable Housing Connectivity Program, a competitive grant plan designed to fund high-speed, reliable broadband infrastructure to and within low-income housing buildings, according to officials.
“These federal dollars will go directly to closing the digital divide, which means connecting communities with good-paying jobs, better health care, and higher-quality education in our schools,” Schumer said.
The American Rescue Plan was designed to address the challenges left behind by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural, tribal, and low- and middle-income communities. So far the Treasury Department has approved about 29% of New York’s total appropriation in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) approved by Congress in March 2021.