A huge amount of federal funding is coming to New York as it has been announced by Gov. Hochul that the state is set to receive $100 million for broadband infrastructure expansion. The funding that will be used for this connectivity project comes from the $10 billion Capital Projects Fund of the America Rescue Plan.

According to Gov. Hochul’s team, this historical investment in providing high-speed internet access in affordable housing units is the largest of its kind across the United States. Through this initiative, it is expected that the state will be able to provide affordable and high-speed internet to 100,000 homes, reducing the disparity in internet access among different communities.

As Niagara Frontier Publications reported:

The governor said, “Affordable, reliable broadband access is essential to connect New Yorkers with work, education, and government services, but still out of reach for far too many families. This critical funding to unlock high-speed internet for thousands of New York renters will build on the success of our ConnectALL broadband initiative while supporting the goals our five-year plan to build and preserve more affordable housing. Thanks to the Biden administration and New York’s Senate and congressional delegations, New York will continue to lead the nation in bridging the digital divide and making broadband available to all.”

A press release stated, “The new federal investment comes from the $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF), a program designed to address the challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural America, Tribal communities, and low- and moderate-income communities. A key priority of the CPF is to make funding available to help ensure that all communities have access to high-quality modern infrastructure, including reliable, affordable high-speed broadband needed to access critical services. New York’s Affordable Housing Connectivity Program is a competitive grant program designed to fund high-speed, reliable broadband infrastructure to and within low-income housing buildings. CPF funds will be used to upgrade internet access in affordable housing units.