Broadband expansion in Conn. depends on federal budget
HAMDEN — Connecticut’s effort to expand access to high-speed internet to hundreds of thousands of rural and low-income urban residents depends on funding levels that could be jeopardized in the pending congressional budget deal announced in Washington over the weekend, officials warned on Monday.
“It’s a very, very tight budget year,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, stressing that current funding levels is about the best the state can hope for in the $65 billion national connectivity program. So far, $150 million has come to the state, but future funding is subject to talks in Washington. “If it’s level funding, we have to consider it a win,” said DeLauro, who is the senior member of Connecticut’s congressional delegation, adding that too many households are still not connected.
During a morning news conference in the Miller Memorial Library with officials including Gov. Ned Lamont and Mayor Lauren Garrett, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that Democrats’ priorities, including implementation of the state’s connectivity program as well as other initiatives such as funding to adapt to climate change, are being targeted for cuts by Republicans who hold a narrow minority in the U.S. Senate and have a small majority in the House of Representatives.
“Internet connection is at-risk unless we implement these top-line numbers,” Blumenthal said, stressing there is bipartisan agreement in the Senate on issues including the $14 billion Affordable Connectivity Program. “The good news is that the partisan freeze seems to be dissipating. We need to keep it going. The digital divide can no longer be tolerated. We know that our children, no matter where they live, no matter what their ZIP code, no matter what their race or religion, they all deserve an equal chance, a fair shot at education, access to jobs, health care and it is essential that we have this kind of affordability connectivity program.”
He said that so far, about 180,000 low-income state families have benefited from the federal funding, including $100 discounts on device purchases, such as laptops and tablets, and subsidized monthly charges for access. “These families have to choose between putting food on the table, paying the mortgage and connecting to the internet,” Blumenthal said. “If kids can’t connect to the internet, they can’t do their homework and they can keep up.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital notebooks were provided to all public school students. Currently, the state Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection is supervising the physical expansion of digital service to areas that do not have it.
“This access is a justice and equity issue for everybody,” Lamont said, standing on the library’s second floor, recalling the remote learning programs during the pandemic. “We got hundreds of thousands of chrome books out there, but it wasn’t enough,” Lamont said, underscoring the local library’s efforts to create internet hot spots in other areas of town, including community centers.
Michelle Halloran Gilman, state Department of Administrative Services commissioner who led the 45-minute news conference, warned that the money for families across the state is at-stake, including subsidies for low-income payments for monthly internet service, access to devices and other support. Staff at the Miller Memorial Library said they have provided support and training for about 300 people since 2022 as part of a $500,000 statewide pilot program called the Digital Navigator, which offers grants through the State Library.
“We’ve made great progress throughout the pandemic, and certainly since then in terms of providing funding for these programs,” Gilman said, stressing that the state is soliciting comment on its draft Digital Equity Plan through Jan. 19. About 88,000 rural and low-income urban families are without internet access, including the disabled and non-English speakers, she said. The state has a midFebruary deadline to submit its draft plan and will find out whether it is approved for more funding by mid-March.
Families applying for supplemental food assistance are also being recruited for the connectivity programming through the state Department of Social
Services, Lamont said, noting that the federal pandemic relief, which has been supporting the state’s efforts, will eventually dry up at the end of 2025. “We are making contingency plans,” Lamont said in answer to a reporter’s question on state budget adjustments he will offer the General Assembly when the session begins next month.
“What are the types of programs that would be the first ones cut off ? What do we need to do to make up for some of that shortfall?” Lamont asked. “I’ve got to say that we’ve been skating close to the cliff like five times over the five years on these issues, so I don’t panic, but we’re ready.” He said he’s confident the entire state will eventually have broadband service. “We’re one of the most-connected states,” he said. “I do worry about some of our multi-family and our urban areas where the wifi can be very slow, where it’s tough to wire.”