State, federal leaders announce $140 million in awards to help expand broadband infrastructure throughout New York

ALBANY, NY- State and federal figureheads have announced over $140 million in awards from the ‘ConnectALL’ Municipal Infrastructure Grant Program to expand broadband infrastructure throughout New York.

“Access to high-speed internet is not luxury, but a necessity, a utility as vital as electricity for everyday life," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said.

"Today, Upstate NY takes a major step towards closing the digital divide. I’m proud to deliver a whopping $140+ million to help expand broadband infrastructure to boost affordable, high-quality internet access for 60,000 homes and businesses across Upstate NY. This will help communities in every corner of Upstate NY from the City of Jamestown to rural parts of Schoharie, Orleans and Sullivan County. It will help families stay connected to education, to healthcare, economic opportunity, and each other. When I led the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to passage, I made sure there was funding for long term investments like this that would create good paying jobs helping build the 21st century infrastructure needed to make high-speed internet reaches corner of the state regardless of zip code. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s work putting these federal dollars to work to ensure all New Yorkers get the equitable access to the internet that they deserve.”

“Every New Yorker deserves affordable, high-speed internet, regardless of where they live," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said.

"This substantial investment in public broadband infrastructure will help connect New Yorkers to remote work opportunities, telehealth appointments and online educational programs, bringing our state one step closer to closing the digital divide once and for all. I’m proud to have helped secure this vital funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, and I will continue working to expand reliable internet access across our state.”

“Today marks a transformative step forward in our mission to connect every New Yorker to affordable, high-speed internet,” Governor Hochul said.

“By investing over $140 million in public broadband infrastructure across six regions, we're not just laying fiber optic cables — we're building bridges to education, health care, economic opportunity and prosperity. With our new interactive dashboard, New Yorkers can now track our progress as we work to ensure that no community is left behind in our digital future.”

These public-private partnerships will lead to the construction of more than 1,200 miles of publicly-owned fiber optic infrastructure and wireless hubs, connecting over 60,000 homes and businesses with affordable, symmetric service — offering equal download and upload speeds at rates below regional averages.

Be sure to check out the Governor’s website for more details.

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.