State invests additional $15.5M for mobile and broadband access

ALBANY | Gov. Hochul has announced that $5.2 million in new awards is being offered for four Connectivity Innovations to expand mobile service in Warren, Nassau, Otsego and Schenectady counties. Additionally, more than $10 million is being awarded under the ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program and Affordable Housing Connectivity Program. ConnectALL is also launching three new funding opportunities. Together with the state's first-ever statewide mobile service coverage tests — now underway to map coverage gaps along thousands of miles of roads and corridors — these actions advance New York's commitment to ensuring universal, reliable mobile and broadband access. "Reliable mobile service is vital to New York's economy and critical to driving innovation, jobs and opportunity statewide," Gov. Hochul said. "These new awards and innovative RFAs, combined with our groundbreaking wireless drive testing, will ensure every New Yorker — no matter where they live — has access to the connectivity they need to learn, work and thrive." In response to Gov. Hochul's 2025 State of the State directive, ConnectALL launched a statewide data collection and regional planning process to improve mobile signal coverage. ConnectALL has begun this effort in the North Country, in partnership with the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board, and is conducting tests of mobile signal coverage along major travel corridors and throughout the Adirondack and Catskill Regions. ConnectALL expects to complete approximately 20,000 miles of mobile service signal testing across 17 counties by the end of 2025. ConnectALL will continue these drive tests across New York State through 2026 and beyond to inform regional connectivity plans that prioritize underserved areas, integrate emerging technologies, and identify new infrastructure opportunities. Lake George/Glens Falls area ConnectALL is awarding $5.2 million to four projects under its Connectivity Innovation Program to expand mobile service, close rural and urban coverage gaps, and create replicable models for future deployments. In Warren County, Lake George and Glens Falls will be allotted $1,996,408 to install decentralized mobile broadband access via 139 community-owned nodes to improve connectivity during peak tourism seasons. ConnectALL also launched three new RFAs (Request for Applications): two under the Connectivity Innovation Program, and one under the Regional and Local Assistance Program. Applications are now open through the CFA (Consolidated Funding Application) portal, with information sessions to be announced through http://broadband.ny.gov. Fiber Optic Deployment Solutions RFA – $5M to seek innovative methods to overcome cost and logistical barriers of traditional fiber installation, with solutions that are scalable, resilient, and able to accelerate timelines while minimizing disruption. Business Model RFA – $5M to support the creation or expansion of innovative revenue models that prioritize ownership and connectivity in low-income and rural communities. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, community organizations, small businesses, co-ops and academic institutions. Regional and Local Assistance Program Round 2 RFA — Up to $5M to assist local and regional governments, counties, municipalities, Tribal Governments, and other government entities to plan and implement broadband, digital equity, and wireless planning projects. Examples of eligible activities include feasibility studies, coordination of digital equity activities or mobile service coverage testing. Expanding New York's Digital Infrastructure Gov. Hochul has made expanding broadband access a cornerstone of her administration's efforts to create a more equitable New York. Through the ConnectALL initiative, New York State is investing more than $1 billion to transform the state's digital infrastructure, enhance competition among providers, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. To date, ConnectALL has overseen the successful launch and implementation of several programs to advance broadband access, including: The Municipal Infrastructure Program has awarded more than $285 million to support construction of open access municipal broadband networks across the state. The program, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects fund, facilitates a variety of models of municipal broadband and public-private partnerships to provide New Yorkers with affordable, high-quality service options. The Beta ConnectALL Projects Dashboard provides details on projects funded by the Municipal Infrastructure Program. The Digital Equity Program will invest $50 million to implement the New York State Digital Equity Plan to close the digital divide. The Plan outlines New York's statewide strategy to increase its capacity to improve digital literacy and digital job readiness skills, facilitate access to affordable internet and devices, enhance digital privacy and safety and make government services more accessible through the internet. The Affordable Housing Connectivity Program will bring new broadband infrastructure to homes in affordable and public housing leveraging a $100 million federal investment from the U.S. Treasury Department's Capital Projects Fund. The Beta ConnectALL Projects Dashboard provides details on projects funded by the Affordable Housing Connectivity Program. The ConnectALL Deployment Program will provide funding for internet service providers to reach unserved and underserved locations, drawing on an allocation of $664.6 million in federal funding as described in the ConnectALL Broadband Deployment Initial Proposal. ConnectALL announced the provisional results of the Program in September with nearly $400 million in grants to address effectively 100 percent of remaining unserved locations. The Department of Commerce is currently reviewing ConnectALL's proposed grants with the federal funds. The Connectivity Innovation Program advances new broadband solutions, business models, and technologies in order to increase private sector investment and entrepreneurship; drive equity and innovation in the broadband marketplace; and reinforce a thriving research, development and manufacturing ecosystem New York. ConnectALL is accepting applications under the Connectivity Innovations Business Model and Fiber Optic Deployment RFAs which opened in September 2025. The Excelsior Broadband Network is a new statewide public broadband network. The first component of this project will be a new fiber line running the full length of the New York Thruway which will connect public broadband assets across the state and improve access to consistent high-speed internet and reliable cell phone service for communities across the state. The Mobile Service Connectivity initiative will work with local stakeholders, state agencies, and industry to develop regional plans to expand cellular coverage across the state. The program will identify top opportunities to expand coverage and provide funding to deploy innovative, scalable solutions that can address gaps in wireless cellular coverage.

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State invests additional $15.5M for mobile and broadband access

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