Connecticut officials today announced the awarding of $28 million in grants under the first round of the state’s ConneCTed Communities Grant Program.
Comcast is receiving the largest portion of the funding, at $21.26 million across 75 municipalities statewide. SNET will receive $3.85 million for projects in Sharon-Cornwall, Putnam-Killingly, East Lyme, Salem, Sterling-Plainfield, Torrington, and Waterford. Verizon, which has a project planned for Greenwich, was awarded $1.8 million. And GoNetspeed will receive $1.04 million for projects in East Windsor and Meriden.
The grants, administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), are designed to help fund broadband infrastructure buildout in more than half of the state’s communities. A total of 88 cities and towns in Connecticut, including 26 on the state’s Distressed Municipalities list, will see benefits from the broadband awards announced today. The funding comes from Connecticut’s portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Project Fund dollars. The program has a total of $40.8 million in funds.
“The expansion of broadband infrastructure will make Connecticut’s towns and cities stronger, more resilient, and better positioned to engage in today’s increasingly digitized world,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a prepared statement. “Awarding these funds is a critical step in the crucial push to make broadband more widely available.”
Another $12.8 million is expected to be distributed in the second round of funding. Applications for these funds opened at the beginning of the month and will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended in advance of the December 2026 ARPA funding deadline.
Additional information about Connecticut broadband, including state funding resources, awards made, and state-specific coverage, can be found on the Telecompetitor Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
