Tonko heralds $6M in COVID relief to expand broadband for local students
WASHINGTON » Rep. Paul D. Tonko announced recently that nearly 20 schools across the Capital Region will be receiving a total of $6,015,990 to help expand and improve internet access for students and teachers. The funding is being administered by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, established under the Tonko-backed American Rescue Plan to help schools and libraries update services for remote learning during the pandemic.
“Throughout this COVID-19 crisis we have heard about the hardships millions of Americans are facing without access to broadband,” Tonko said.
“We have heard from students unable to connect to their classes and submit assignments, and from educators who have to drive to parking lots with public Wi-Fi and teach from their cars. For years I have pushed to expand and improve internet access to deliver this critical resource to underserved and unserved communities, and I was successful in my fight to include additional support for broadband as part of our American Rescue Plan legislation. I am delighted that this needed funding is being delivered to our Capital Region and beyond,” Tonko added.
While serving as a tireless broadband advocate in Congress, Tonko has repeatedly delivered support for underserved and unserved communities across the Capital Region and beyond. This includes securing Connect America funding to expand broadband services to hundreds of locations across the State, championing federal funding to deliver internet service to more than 46,000 New York locations, and spearheading the successful effort to ensure New York’s eligibility for federal rural broadband funds.
This announcement is part of the first tranche of funding delivered under the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program to provide students, school staff, and library patrons in all 50 states and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia access to the devices and broadband connectivity they need to support their off-campus education needs. This first round of funding will deliver more than $1.2 billion to schools and libraries that serve more than 3.6 million students.
Applications for a second round of funding will open Sept. 28 and close on Oct. 13, and will provide funding for eligible equipment and services received or delivered between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. The funding is available for the purchase of laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connections for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons in need, and is available to support off-campus learning, such as homework and virtual learning as schools continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the local schools receiving first-round funding include:
Shenendehowa Central School District: $342,764.64
Rensselaer City School District: $41,908.80
Watervliet City School District: $241,240.12
Commission on Economic Opportunity Administrative Offices in Troy: $3,955.00