Massachusetts Reaches a New Milestone in Digital Access

Key takeaways:

• Massachusetts' Connected & Online Program has distributed more than 26,000 internet-enabled devices through trusted community organizations statewide.
• Dell devices, configured with security and accessibility features, are enabling education, workforce training and telehealth access in Gateway Cities and rural communities.
• Public and private collaboration is accelerating digital equity across the Commonwealth through the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech.

Earlier this month, the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), announced the distribution of more than 26,000 internet-enabled devices through Round 1 of the Connected & Online Program - a $28.5 million federal initiative designed to expand access to education, workforce development and healthcare services across the Commonwealth. The milestone reflects MBI's broader mission to promote digital equity by putting technology directly into the hands of residents who need it most. Dell devices are at the center of that effort.

A program built around community

Launched in October 2025, the Connected & Online Program is expanding access to education, workforce training and telehealth services by establishing public device lending programs and on-site device stations, especially in Gateway Cities and rural communities. By distributing internet-enabled devices through more than 200 trusted local institutions, the program ensures that all residents across the Commonwealth can fully participate in society.

Dell devices powering community access

Devices distributed under the program include Dell Chromebooks, Dell Pro laptops and desktops. These devices are configured with essential security and accessibility software, which provide users with ready-to-use technology tailored for schools, libraries, learning centers and other community spaces.

Dell worked with its partner, HUB Technical Services, who configured each system with essential security and accessibility software and managed delivery and deployment to over 200 sites across the Commonwealth.

Dell's roots in Massachusetts

Dell's role in this initiative is grounded in a long-standing presence in the Commonwealth. Dell's R&D operations in Hopkinton, alongside its R&D and advanced manufacturing facility in Franklin, represent a deep commitment to the state. Dell's involvement with the Massachusetts AI Hub, a second MassTech division, further reflects that commitment, with Dell AI infrastructure empowering faster discovery and broader access to high-performance compute for learners and researchers within Massachusetts and beyond.

Empowering communities for the future

This milestone reflects more than the scale of the distribution effort - it demonstrates the power of private-public collaboration. When state and local governments work with technology providers like Dell, they can enhance public services and drive meaningful societal progress. Massachusetts' Connected & Online Program shows how these partnerships can expand access to education, workforce development and healthcare resources for the communities that need them most.

About the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech

To achieve this, MBI uses state and federal funding to launch infrastructure expansion programs that target areas of the state that lack high-speed internet access as well as digital equity programs that tackle barriers to internet adoption and increase availability, addressing critical issues around affordability, enhanced public Wi-Fi, the need for internet-enabled devices and digital literacy training.

Learn more at broadband.masstech.org.