Buried Fiber

ConnectALL Deployment Program

Supporting the deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved locations state wide

Overview

The ConnectALL Deployment Program (“the Program”) will support the deployment of broadband to unserved and underserved locations statewide. The Program will provide grant funding directly to eligible applicants (see the Program Guidelines for the definition of eligible applicants) to construct and install last-mile infrastructure, and/or communications equipment that can deliver broadband services to unserved and underserved locations. The Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (“NTIA”), which allocated $664.6 million to the State of New York through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (“BEAD”) Program. New York State's Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal, Volumes 1 and 2, describe how ConnectALL will effectively invest the BEAD allocation to attract private investment and reach unserved locations.

Currently, ConnectALL is administering the New York State Broadband Challenge Process, in which local and Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and internet service providers can challenge locations’ eligibility for ConnectALL Deployment Program funding. The post-challenge list of eligible addresses will be subject to review and approval by NTIA. After approval, ConnectALL will aggregate locations from the final eligible address list to determine a set of grant areas that will be eligible to receive funding through this Program.

Broadband Deployment Plans

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 BEAD allocation is a part of the ConnectALL Deployment Program.  

Learn more about the ConnectALL Broadband Deployment Plans

Prequalification Application

The ConnectALL Deployment Program Prequalification Application will establish the threshold qualifications of prospective Eligible Applicants ahead of the release of the Program’s Request for Applications (RFA) in Fall 2024. This Prequalification will assess prospective grantees’ financial, managerial, and technical qualifications, as well as past experience and capacity to deploy last-mile broadband.

Learn about the Prequalification Application

Proposed Project Area Public Comment

Public comment on ConnectALL’s second draft of proposed project areas for the ConnectALL Deployment Program has closed. ConnectALL will consider public comments when designating geographic boundaries of the project areas for which prospective grantees can apply. 

County Partnerships

The ConnectALL Deployment Program – County Partnerships aims to address locations that do not have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service by providing grants for broadband deployment to Counties that have conducted competitive processes to identify internet service provider partner(s) to serve those locations. ConnectALL anticipates awarding a total of up to $50 million to fund direct expenses related to broadband deployment.

Applications are not currently being accepted. Learn more about the ConnectALL Deployment Program – County Partnerships

New York State Broadband Challenge Process

ConnectALL verified the eligibility of locations for the ConnectALL Deployment Program through the New York State Broadband Challenge Process. ConnectALL completed final adjudication in August and is currently awaiting validation and approval of the challenge process results from NTIA.