Connecticut will receive $144 million from a federal program to bolster high-speed internet access across the state.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes announced the award on Nov. 19 in a press release. The grant is from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as a part of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program (BEAD).
BEAD is a $42.45 billion federal grant program that aims to support high-speed internet by “funding partnerships to build infrastructure,” according to the NTIA. The money can be used for planning and development of infrastructure, expansion of internet access in underserved areas, workforce development and other activities that support internet infrastructure.
“Access to fast, affordable, reliable high-speed internet is a requirement of life today, whether it be getting medical care, paying bills, or finding work and educational opportunities,” Lamont said in the press release. “Improving residents’ access to broadband has been a priority of mine since we enacted Connecticut’s first broadband bill in 2021, and this authorization marks another significant step toward that goal.”
Seventeen other states and territories received awards as well. According to an NTIA press release, Louisiana, Wyoming, Iowa, American Samoa, Georgia, Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Maine, New Hampshire, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, South Carolina, North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island and Virginia also will get funding to bolster their internet.
“Federal approval of Connecticut’s BEAD program proposal is another big step forward in the effort to deliver fast, affordable, and reliable internet to all Connecticut residents and businesses,” Dykes said in the press release. “With this approval, we are ready to expand critical infrastructure across the state that will empower our workforce, drive economic development, support healthcare, and advance education. We look forward to seeing every corner of the state benefit from this program as Connecticut closes the gap on internet access.”
Connecticut’s proposal and grant materials can be found on the DEEP website.
BEAD was introduced as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which was passed in 2021. The Trump administration continued the program but made changes in the name of cutting costs.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in the NTIA press release that the new version of the program would “best [serve] the interests of the American people.”
“After stripping away burdensome rules and regulations and wasteful requirements, taxpayers will save billions in unnecessary costs while connecting those in need to high-speed broadband through the full spectrum of broadband technologies,” Lutnick said.
The new version of BEAD said it is “technology-neutral,” meaning it will not limit proposals to focusing only on fiber internet technology. It plans to consider cheaper technologies to “bring the full force of the competitive marketplace,” according to an NTIA press release.
Jessica Dine, a policy analyst from the Open Technology Institute, issued a statement saying the attempt to streamline and cut costs “largely fails to account for network quality, price for consumers, or even long-term maintenance costs.”
“Despite NTIA claiming to want a balanced mix of technologies funded by BEAD, the new guidance directs states to compare all applications on the basis of project cost alone,” Dine said. “This process will likely lead to rushed outcomes that overwhelmingly favor tech with the lowest upfront costs.”