Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Press Releases

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10/11/2024

Governor Lamont Announces $28 Million To Increase Broadband Access in 88 Towns and Cities

Historic Program Aimed at Making Fast, Affordable, Reliable Connectivity Widely Available; Applications for the Second Round of Grants Now Open

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced the release of $28 million in grants awarded under the first round of the state’s ConneCTed Communities Grant Program.

Administered by DEEP, these grants will support the buildout of broadband infrastructure in more than half of Connecticut’s communities. A total of 88 cities and towns in the state, including 26 on the state’s Distressed Municipalities list, will benefit from the grants under this initial round.

The funding comes from Connecticut’s portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Project Fund dollars, which is designed to support access to high-speed internet by funding infrastructure projects to support the goal of universal access to affordable, resilient, and reliable broadband. A total of $40.8 million is available for this program.

“The expansion of broadband infrastructure will make Connecticut’s towns and cities stronger, more resilient, and better positioned to engage in today’s increasingly digitized world,” Governor Lamont said. “Awarding these funds is a critical step in the crucial push to make broadband more widely available.”

“Broadband is a necessary part of daily life and bringing high-speed internet access to every community in the state is essential for our future,” Commissioner Dykes said. “The ConneCTed Communities Grant Program was developed with the goal of reaching every unserved and underserved location in the state, preparing our communities with the infrastructure they’ll need in the years to come.”

The grant recipients for the first round of the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program are as follows:


DEEP ConneCTed Communities Grant Program
October 2024 Grant Round 1

For an interactive map of locations awarded in this grant round, click here.
For a static map of locations awarded in this grant round, click here.

Applicant

Project Area

Number of Locations in Project

Grant Funding

Comcast

Statewide across 75 municipalities

2,099

$21,262,269.00

Verizon

Greenwich

148

$1,815,488.00

GoNetspeed

East Windsor

237

$836,718.75

GoNetspeed

Meriden

46

$206,452.50

Frontier Communications

Sharon-Cornwall

148

$953,909.00
Frontier Communications             

Putnam-Killingly

196

$837,400.00

Frontier Communications

East Lyme

53

$837,734.00
Frontier Communications             

Salem

182

$359,184.00

Frontier Communications

Sterling-Plainfield

138

$434,521.00

Frontier Communications

Torrington

32

$204,030.00

Frontier Communications

Waterford

41

$225,116.00

TOTAL

3,320

$27,972,822.25

 

The second round of funding under this program is expected to distribute another $12.8 million in grants. The application period for the second round opened on October 1, 2024, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended in advance of the December 2026 ARPA funding deadline. The second round will continue to support infrastructure buildouts and will also include support service for multi-dwelling units in distressed municipalities. DEEP hosted a webinar earlier this week for interested governmental agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, municipalities, and internet service providers. (To watch a recording of the webinar, click here.)

In addition to this program, DEEP is also administering the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which is funding the deployment of broadband infrastructure to remaining unserved and underserved locations throughout Connecticut. Approximately $144 million is available for this program. DEEP will begin accepting prequalification applications from potential BEAD applicants later this month.

To learn more about DEEP’s Office of Telecommunications and Broadband and its broadband deployment efforts, visit portal.ct.gov/deep/energy/broadband-deployment.

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Contact

DEEP Communications  
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110