Connecticut

T-Mobile has entered into definitive agreements to form two strategic fiber joint ventures (JVs): a 50/50 partnership with Oak Hill Capital to acquire and combine GoNetspeed and Greenlight Networks, and a separate 50/50 joint venture with Wren House to acquire i3 Broadband.

State legislatures across the country are recognizing that good broadband adoption is vital for a robust economy and have tackled or are considering plans to make broadband more affordable. The Oregon legislature passed HB 3148, which strengthens support for low-income broadband customers.

Today's big news is that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved 18 Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposals. As a reminder, we've been tracking what those proposals looked like when they were submitted to the NTIA. In the coming days, we'll be examining the final final (Is that what we should call them?) BEAD plans to see what changes were made during the approval process.

Frontier Communications was the big winner in the second round of funding in the ConneCTed Communities Grant Program, a Connecticut broadband initiative. The awards, which total $9.9 million, will support build-out of broadband to approximately 3,802 residences and businesses in 44 towns and cities. The focus is on multi-dwelling units. The announcement was made by Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The National Telecommunications Administration (NTIA) awarded the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commission for Educational Technology over $9 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant funding towards implementing the state's Digital Equity Plan.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from Connecticut, allowing the state to request access to more than $9 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Connecticut will use the $9,183,114 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

When it comes to connectivity, Connecticut (pun intended) is in the enviable situation of having 99 percent of its locations already powered by broadband. But statewide usage statistics—from the American Community Survey and providers’ adoption data—showed that only about 87 percent of its locations actually subscribe to internet.