Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $31.5 Million in Largest Statewide Investment in Public Housing Internet

BOSTON – Today, the Healey-Driscoll administration and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s (MassTech) Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) awarded $31,548,018 to four internet service providers (ISPs) to increase internet access for affordable and public housing residents statewide. MBI provided the funds through the state’s Residential Retrofit Program, which expands reliable, high-speed internet service by addressing inadequate wiring and infrastructure through grants to qualified ISPs. 

This round of grant funding will modernize internet access in more than 13,700 housing units across Massachusetts, including the installation of fiber-optic or CAT6 internet infrastructure, customer home-based equipment, and Wi-Fi service to residences in 60 municipalities across the state. The upgrades aim to increase connectivity, reduce cost burdens and improve digital access for low-income residents. 

“This program is about enhancing broadband connectivity for residents statewide,” said Massachusetts Interim Economic Development Secretary Ashley Stolba. “With this funding, we’re making sure low-income residents have the same access to essential services, opportunities, and tools as everyone else, leading to a more connected and advanced economy.”

“Public and affordable housing residents deserve the same level of connectivity as everyone else,” said Massachusetts Broadband Institute Director Michael Baldino. “This funding helps level the playing field and connects families to everything from telehealth to remote learning.”

The Residential Retrofit Program is funded by U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund through the American Rescue Plan Act. The program prioritizes projects in federally designated Qualified Census Tracts and properties with high percentages of deed-restricted affordable housing.

Listed below are the providers and public housing operators receiving awards in this round of the program:

Aervivo Inc. ($10,527,014 for 6,402 housing units)

Aervivo Inc.’s Connectivity Platform enables partners to deploy fiber-grade hybrid networks to small and large communities across the Commonwealth. In its proposal for the Residential Retrofit Program, Aervivo Inc. offered income-eligible broadband plans of at least 100Mbps/100Mbps and up to 1000Mbps/1000Mbps within each property they serve. Aervivo will provide devices at a ratio of 1:4 units, Wi-Fi in community areas, optional bulk service rates, and digital skills training as community benefits under this award. 

Archtop Fiber LLC  ($481,955 for 164 housing units)  
Archtop Fiber is an Internet Service Provider specializing in acquiring, constructing, and operating modern fiber optic networks. Archtop’s Network Design is a 100 percent fiber-optic design, comprising middle-mile fiber-optic connectivity to last-mile fiber-optic services. The technology is low latency and will reliably provide 8Gbps symmetrical service. Archtop will also offer Wi-Fi in community areas, open access network services, and bulk service options under this award.

Comcast Cable Communications ($12,932,384 for 5,179 housing units)  

Comcast has built and operates one of the largest fiber deployments in the nation. In addition to an all-fiber backbone, Comcast has consistently added and expanded fiber throughout the portion of its network that directly serves customers. In its proposal for the Residential Retrofit Program, Comcast offered income-eligible broadband plans of at least 100Mbps/100Mbps for each property it serves. In addition, Comcast has enhanced its community benefits to include a contract with a third-party digital literacy or navigation training partner to provide services on site, in addition to Wi-Fi in community areas and open access use of in-building wiring. 

CBN Geneva LLC ($7,606,664 for 1,514 housing units)  

CBN Geneva LLC is committed to maximizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness by leveraging existing public broadband infrastructure assets. CBN offers community benefits, including free Wi-Fi in common areas, device distribution, and digital literacy courses. CBN Geneva LLC is committed to open-access broadband deployment to foster competition, enhance service quality, and expand internet accessibility. The network infrastructure built with grant funding will be structured to support multiple ISPs and third-party service providers, ensuring that residents have access to a variety of broadband service options, in addition to offering income-eligible plans and an optional bulk network rate. The CBN Geneva LLC network is 100 percent fiber optic.

Participating housing operators are also eligible for funding through the Retrofit Ancillary Grantee (RANGE) Program, which directs grants to housing operators to support adoption of the new internet service, and expand access to devices and digital skills training. RANGE applications are due Friday, September 26. For more information, applicants may go to broadband.masstech.org/retrofit.  

Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech

A division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is working to extend high-speed internet access and availability across the state. 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 https://broadband.masstech.org.

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