ALBANY - New York State will award $25 million in funding to expand high-speed Internet access in rural upstate and underserved urban areas of New York through the Connect NY Broadband Grant Program. This award brings the total amount of funding awarded for broadband projects to more than $56 million, the largest statewide broadband funding commitment in the nation.

Eighteen broadband projects were selected to receive Connect NY Broadband grants based on the endorsement of the Regional Councils and technical scores awarded by a committee who analyzed and ranked projects competing for the $25 million in broadband funding. In December, the state also awarded nearly $6 million in funding, from Round 2 of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, to four project sponsors who will expand high-speed Internet into the North Country region.

"Through the Connect NY program, we are bringing high-speed internet access to all corners of New York State," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "The projects receiving these grants represent the very best proposals with the most potential to benefit statewide economic and community development efforts. These funds will strengthen New York’s broadband capacity and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service in unserved and underserved communities, counties and regions across the state."

Together, these projects will build approximately 6,000 square miles of new infrastructure and will provide high-speed Internet service to 153,000 New York households, 8,000 businesses, and 400 community anchor institutions – many without any means to access the Internet. In addition to the vast economic benefits derived from broadband access, the projects being funded by Connect NY will create 1,400 new jobs. Most of the funding will be for the “last-mile” of broadband service, which means the projects will provide high speed Internet connections directly to New Yorkers. The last mile is the most expensive portion of a broadband network, and often prevents many rural residents from receiving broadband service, even when service is available to nearby homes.

The broadband projects selected as Connect NY grant recipients: 

• $24,010 The Smithville Project
• $114,015 Ovid and Romulus Broadband Project
• $200,000 Connect Thurman White Space Project
• $557,000 Essex County Broadband Service Expansion
• $558,940 Otsego County Wireless Network
• $572,000 Hamilton and Herkimer Counties Broadband
• $672,452 Southern Tier Broadband
• $800,000 Allegany County Broadband
• $976,426 Lyon Mountain Broadband
• $1,012,366 Bellmont North Next Generation Broadband
• $1,636,346 Connect NYC
• $1,800,000 MTC Broadband Buildout
• $1,999,584 Parish Broadband
• $2,042,177 Connecting the Capital Region
• $2,162,656 Schroon Lake Next Generation Broadband
• $2,216,000 Tompkins and Cayuga Counties Last Mile Coverage
• $2,407,049 Yates County Open Access Fiber Network
• $5,266,979 Statewide Broadband Expansion