Broadband Deployment Overview
New York State’s ConnectALL Office has been allocated more than $664 million in funding from the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The BEAD allocation is the largest single investment in the ConnectALL initiative and will be used primarily for providing fiber optic infrastructure to locations in New York that currently have no broadband service.
The $1+ billion ConnectALL initiative, announced by Governor Hochul in her January 2022 State of the State Address, is New York State's largest-ever public investment in broadband, aimed at transforming the state's digital infrastructure to connect all New Yorkers to the internet. In addition to funding to reach unserved and underserved locations, ConnectALL includes grant programs to invest in publicly-owned open-access broadband infrastructure, to upgrade service to affordable and public housing, and to support digital inclusion and education on using the internet.
New York State has consolidated planning and implementation for both the Broadband Deployment and Digital Equity programs under ConnectALL to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach that will address the complete range of barriers to broadband access and use currently affecting New Yorkers. ConnectALL launched a comprehensive statewide planning and stakeholder engagement effort to inform the development of all Broadband Deployment Plans and the first-ever State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP). Learn more about ConnectALL outreach and engagement efforts here.
The National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) requires that States develop four different plans to receive their Broadband Deployment funding. These plans are:
- New York State Five-Year Action Plan
- Initial Proposal Volume 1
- Initial Proposal Volume 2
- The Final Proposal
Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal
ConnectALL has published drafts of the Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal Volumes 1 and 2. These proposals describe how to most effectively invest the $664 million to attract private investment and reach unserved locations with a mix of fiber optic and wireless technologies.
Volume 1 includes details of existing broadband funding, unserved and underserved locations and community anchor institutions as defined by the BEAD program, and the challenge process to identify and confirm unserved and underserved locations. Volume 2 provides additional detail on ConnectALL’s approach to project areas and selection criteria.
The Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal Volumes 1 and 2 are open for public comment until December 6, 2023 at 5PM ET. To submit public comment, use the submission forms linked below. ConnectALL will consider all comments to include in the final version that is submitted to NTIA.
Updated 11/10/23: CAO has updated Initial Proposal Volume 1 to include clickable links for all section and appendix cross-references. A change log has been added to the end of the document for transparency on changes made to the file since initial publication.
- Read the Draft Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal Volume 2
- Submit Public Comment on the Draft Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal Volume 2
Updated 11/10/23: CAO has updated Initial Proposal Volume 2 to include clickable links for all section and appendix cross-references, fix minor typos and linking issues, fix a typo in the scoring formula in Section 4.2.2.1, and replace screenshots of surveys included in Appendix 1 with text. A change log has been added to the end of the document for transparency on changes made to the file since initial publication.
NYS BEAD Five-Year Action Plan
The BEAD Five-Year Action Plan outlines goals and priorities for the $664 million allocated for broadband deployment in New York State under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These goals and priorities align with Governor Hochul’s commitment to affordable, reliable, and accessible, broadband for all residents across the State. The Plan notes the cost of building new fiber infrastructure to all unserved addresses identified by the FCC. The Plan also presents initial results from ConnectALL’s Internet and Digital Equity Listening Campaign, the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the digital divide in New York, encompassing both infrastructure and non-infrastructure barriers to broadband adoption.