Governor Hochul, U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and U.S. Representative Tonko Announce More Than $540 Million in Public and Private Investment to Connect Unserved New[...]

Governor Hochul, along with U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Tonko, today announced that ConnectALL has begun implementation of a $542 million effort to bring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service to 58,617 unserved and underserved homes and businesses in largely rural districts statewide as part of the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This historic undertaking targets the final one percent of documented locations that remain unserved or underserved across New York State and is the result of a multi-year process.

"New York State has led the way in making broadband affordable and welcomes the opportunity to move forward with our federal partners in implementing the BEAD program and bringing affordable, reliable and critical digital infrastructure to the unserved and underserved communities in New York," Governor Hochul said. "Closing the digital divide means ensuring that reliable, high-speed access reaches every household in the state - and that it remains affordable when it gets there. New York is showing the rest of the nation that both are possible through its landmark Affordable Broadband Act and commitment to reaching the final 1% of unserved or underserved households."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "As New York expands access to high-speed internet through this federal investment, we remain equally focused on ensuring that service remains affordable for residents and businesses. The state has taken important steps to protect consumers, and we will continue to implement broadband programs in a way that supports both expanded access and long-term affordability. This balanced approach is essential to making connectivity a true driver of economic opportunity."

Senator Chuck Schumer said, "Bringing reliable, fast internet access to nearly 60,000 homes and businesses is a massive step forward in closing the digital divide in the Empire State. I was proud to deliver more than $660 million in federal funding from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, with nearly $300 million flowing today to make long-term infrastructure investments, all while creating good-paying jobs. I will continue fighting to ensure people in every corner of the state have the resources they need, no matter their zip code."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "Access to affordable, high-quality internet is no longer a luxury - it is a necessity for everyday life. New Yorkers rely daily on broadband to connect them with work opportunities, health care, education and much more. I am proud to have worked to deliver this historic investment and I will continue to fight so every New Yorker has access to reliable, high-speed internet, regardless of where they live."

Representative Paul D. Tonko said, "Broadband internet access is an essential resource for families and businesses across our Capital Region and throughout New York. That's why I've worked to lead the charge in Congress to expand broadband access both here at home and nationwide. After a long fight, today's launch of BEAD funding marks a real step forward in closing the digital divide once and for all. Our constituents have been asking for this for far too long, and I'm proud to join Governor Hochul in celebrating this historic investment. It will connect tens of thousands of New Yorkers to affordable, high-speed internet-opening doors to education, economic opportunity and essential services."

The $542 million investment includes $287 million in federal funding, $7 million in state funding, and $248 million in private sector funding from nine participating internet service providers. The federal funding for these awards comes from $664.6 million that Congress allocated to New York State in 2023 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD). Next steps include submitting provisional awards for state and federal environmental review.

Awardees are:

• $23,728,734 to Archtop Fiber, LLC with a $30,057,586 match and $1,000,000 state match to serve 1,638 locations in four counties (Columbia, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan) with fiber optic technology.
• $121,177,268 to CBN America, LLC with a $40,392,423 match to serve 3,087 locations in seven counties (Chenango, Delaware, Madison, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, and Yates) and Shinnecock Reservation with fiber optic technology, as well as 18,098 locations in 29 counties (Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Saratoga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates) and Onondaga Reservation with fixed wireless technology.
• $13,273,290 to Citizens Telecommunications Company of New York, Inc. with a $6,303,834 match to serve 1,014 locations in Chenango County with fiber optic technology.
• $5,454,547 to Fidium Enterprise Services, Inc. with a $3,594,633 match to serve 1,083 locations in three counties (Chautauqua, Columbia and Rensselaer) with fiber optic technology.
• $12,709,615 to IBT Group USA, LLC with a $4,236,538 match to serve 5,478 locations in nine counties (Chenango, Delaware, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie) and the Oneida Indian Reservation with fixed wireless technology.
• $11,437,665 to Reasnor Telephone Company, LLC with a $3,812,555 match to serve 795 locations in Dutchess County with fiber optic technology.
• $22,300,500 to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. with a $20,426,074 match to serve 14,877 locations in 37 counties (Albany, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Warren, Washington, Westchester, and Wyoming) and two Tribal Reservations (Allegany Reservation and Oneida Indian Reservation) with low Earth orbit satellite technology.
• $21,038,640 to Spectrum Northeast, LLC with a $4,123,251 match and a $6,000,000 state match to serve 2,919 locations in Chautauqua County and Tuscarora Nation with fiber optic technology.
• $56,120,006 to Verizon New York, Inc. with a $135,241,523 match to serve 4,016 locations in 13 counties (Albany, Clinton, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Montgomery, Oneida, Oswego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Sullivan, Ulster, and Washington) and the Tonawanda Reservation with fiber optic technology.

The effort moves forward alongside New York's Affordable Broadband Act's (ABA), first-in-the-nation legal protections for low-cost internet service that guarantee affordable options for more than 3 million estimated households statewide. The ABA requires internet service providers to offer qualifying low-income households broadband service at $15 per month for 25 Mbps service or $20 for 200 Mbps service.

To date, ConnectALL has reached more than 650,000 New Yorkers with information about the ABA's low-cost service options, with more than 72,000 residents following up for more information. ConnectALL is also working with more than a dozen state agencies on public awareness and has partnered with the New York State Library to distribute informational materials in library branches across the state. New Yorkers seeking to enroll in low-cost internet service can call 311 in New York City or 211 elsewhere in the state, or visit the ConnectALL consumer resources page at https://broadband.ny.gov/consumer-resources.

Expanding New York's Digital Infrastructure

Governor Hochul has made expanding broadband access a cornerstone of her administration's efforts to create a more equitable and affordable 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 funded more than $268 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 is a plan to invest $50 million 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 Programwill fund $100 million to bring new broadband infrastructure to homes in affordable and public housing, leveraging a $33 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 $644.6 million in federal funding as described in the ConnectALL Broadband Deployment Final Proposal. ConnectALL submitted its proposed awards to the U.S. Department of Commerce in September 2025; the Department approved the awards in January 2026
• The Connectivity Innovation Program advances innovation and new broadband solutions, business models, and technologies to increase private sector investment and entrepreneurship; drive equity and innovation in the broadband marketplace; and reinforce a thriving research, development, and manufacturing ecosystem to support connectivity innovation in New York.
• The Regional and Local Assistance Programprovides grant funding to local governments, counties, municipalities, Tribal Governments, and other government entities to plan and implement broadband or wireless deployment and digital equity projects and programs, and other efforts consistent with the ConnectALL mandate. The program provides grants or technical assistance to eligible applicants for program funding to include non-capital resources, technical assistance and planning which could include feasibility studies or digital equity research, identifying areas in need of internet service or new investments in broadband, or the development of financing for broadband facilities.
• 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.

Contact the Governor's Press Office