Overview
Governor Hochul’s ConnectALL initiative will be the largest-ever investment in New York's digital infrastructure, transforming it so all New Yorkers have affordable, reliable broadband statewide. Catalyzing over $1 billion in new public and private investments, ConnectALL will provide affordable broadband access to New Yorkers in rural and urban areas statewide and continue New York State’s leadership on connectivity.
In 2015, New York State made an initial $500 million investment with the New NY Broadband program — the largest state broadband investment in the nation at the time. Working through public-private partnerships, the program deployed more than 21,000 miles of fiber, providing access to 256,000 homes, businesses, and community institutions.
Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed that high-speed broadband remains too costly for many New Yorkers. Affordability is an especially steep barrier, often driven by lack of competition and consumer choice. Today, the average basic broadband subscription costs more than $50 a month, and nearly one-third of New Yorkers have only one provider option. Furthermore, equity remains an issue with Black and Hispanic households in New York more likely not to have a subscription than white households.
Closing this remaining digital divide is critical, because having universal access to high-speed broadband in our digital economy is as essential as having heat, clean water, and reliable electricity. Connectivity helps New Yorkers go to school, work remotely, find a job, start a business, access healthcare, and communicate with loved ones. Further investment in this vital public infrastructure will not only strengthen the progress of our State’s initial investment, it will boost economic growth and local innovation far into the future.
The ConnectALL Office continues the mission of closing the digital divide in New York State, ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to affordable high-speed Internet and making broadband for all a reality.
What is Broadband?
Broadband refers to high-speed internet access and advanced telecommunications services for homes, commercial establishments, government, schools, and community anchor institutions. In New York State, broadband service is primarily delivered via cable modem, fiber-optic cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), or through mobile wireless (5G/4G LTE). In fact, many service providers use a combination of wireline and wireless technologies to provide hybrid broadband service to their customers.
Broadband services offered with the backing of State funding, including the New NY Broadband Program, provides internet access at speeds of at least 100Mbps. Fore example, more than 90 percent of all New NY Broadband Program funding was directed to Gigabit-capable fiber broadband.
Wireline Technologies
Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) is an optimal broadband technology that can consistently deliver speeds of 1 Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) and higher.
Cable Modem uses coaxial cable to deliver broadband. Bandwidth is managed through shared connections.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses copper telephone lines to deliver broadband.
Wireless Technologies
Fixed Wireless uses a combination of a fiber backbone and wireless towers to deliver broadband. Fixed wireless technologies can be quickly deployed at low costs with a wide reach.
Mobile Broadband is a combination of cellular and data service generally for use on mobile devices. Mobile broadband typically complements wireline connections, but some companies provide home broadband service delivered over mobile broadband networks.
Satellite delivers broadband through a two-way transmission of internet data passed between a satellite and a dish placed at the home.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite is similar to existing satellite internet service, however, these LEO satellites orbit the Earth at a lower altitude than previous generations of internet satellites, thereby providing lower latency times and generally faster upload and download speeds.
Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
Pursuant to the New York State WIRED Act, the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee was created in the division of broadband access in 2022. Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee members will advise ConnectALL on topics including the expansion of high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband, fostering consumer choice, increasing competition in the broadband industry, promoting open-access infrastructure, potential guidelines or regulations for implementation of broadband-related programs, and aspects of state broadband reports.
The Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee is a non-compensatory advisory board, and there are no projected costs associated with this advisory board in future years.
Read the press release announcing the members of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee here.
Committee Members
Governor’s Appointees and Member Affiliation
- Frank Muia, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; individual representing a telecommunications union (Kings County)
- Allyson Mitchell, Mohawk Networks; individual with substantial expertise in tribal affairs (St. Lawrence County)
- Camille Goldman-Joseph, Charter Communications; expertise on service providers with over 100,000 subscribers (Albany County)
- James Becker, MIDTEL; expertise on service providers with less than 100,000 subscribers (Schenectady County)
Senate Appointee
- Laurie Wheelock, Public Utility Law Project (Albany County)
Ex-Officio Members
- Chair - Joshua Breitbart, Empire State Development
- Jackie Bray, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
- Paul Cardettino, State Education Department
- Mary Harding, Department of Transportation
- Moses Kamya, Office of General Services
- Becky Koepnick, Homes and Community Renewal
- Scott Melvin, Department of Labor
- Ali Mohammed, New York Power Authority
- Brian Ossias, Department of Public Service
- Patrick Ryan, Division of Budget
Previous Meetings
10/18/2023: View the presentation
11/21/2023: View the presentation
Contact
Mailing Address
ConnectALL Office
633 Third Avenue 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10017