Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $22.2 Million in Ongoing Effort to Modernize Affordable Housing Internet

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s (MassTech) Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) today announced $22,260,701 in grants to upgrade internet access for 15,793 affordable housing units across 54 communities in Massachusetts. MBI provided the awards through the Residential Retrofit Program, an initiative that works with housing operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to upgrade broadband infrastructure in public and affordable housing properties.

The projects will install modern fiber-optic cables in public and affordable housing properties that will increase residents’ access to high-quality, reliable and affordable broadband service. 

“Massachusetts is leading the nation in its efforts to improve internet access and adoption statewide,” said Massachusetts Interim Economic Development Secretary Ashley Stolba. “The Residential Retrofit Program is a key component of our strategy to upgrade broadband infrastructure statewide and will expand economic opportunity to residents by enabling them to access essential online tools.”

“The Residential Retrofit Program is an ambitious effort to revamp decades-old wiring affecting low-income families and we’re already seeing how much of an impact this work has had,” said MBI Director Michael Baldino. “This round of Residential Retrofit Program grantees demonstrated a dedication to serving affordable housing residents and providing them with access needed to thrive in the digital age.”

The award announcement is the third and largest round for the $82 million Residential Retrofit Program, which engages with housing operators and internet service providers (ISPs) across Massachusetts. So far, the program has awarded $16.7 million in funding, including $6.3 million in December 2024 and $10.4 million in March 2025.

The Residential Retrofit Program partners with ISPs that are committed to providing high-speed access at an affordable rate for residents. Beyond infrastructure upgrades, the Residential Retrofit Program is also supporting internet adoption in affordable housing through the newly launched $8 million Retrofit Ancillary Grantee (RANGE) Program. The RANGE Program will provide grants to housing operators that have participated in previous rounds of the Residential Retrofit Program. RANGE grants will support the adoption of the newly retrofitted properties through digital navigation, digital literacy, tenant coordination and public space improvements.

Funding for both programs comes from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund through the American Rescue Plan Act.

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

Aervivo Inc. ($20,113,689 for 15,063 housing units)
Aervivo Inc.’s Connectivity Platform enables partners to deploy fiber-grade hybrid networks to small and large communities across the state. 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 it serves. Aervivo will also offer multiple community benefits including devices for residents, digital literacy classes, free Wi-Fi in public areas and open access network options.

Comcast Cable Communications ($1,100,200 for 485 housing units) 
Comcast operates one of the largest fiber networks 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. Comcast offered income-eligible broadband plans of at least 100Mbps/100Mbps for each property it serves. Comcast will also provide digital literacy or navigation and Wi-Fi in public spaces as community benefits.
 

RingSquared APC LLC DBA AccessPlus ($1,046,812 for 245 housing units)
RingSquared APC LLC (DBA AccessPlus) will provide its project group with high-speed broadband service delivered over an end-to-end fiber network. In its proposal, RingSquared offered income-eligible broadband plans of at least 500Mbps/500Mbps within each property it serves.
 

On May 7, 2025, MBI launched Round IV of the Residential Retrofit Program. ISPs may now participate in this current round, which is open through June 10.

Housing operators interested in applying to the next round of the Program may submit an expression of interest form by July 31. For more information, applicants may go to broadband.masstech.org/retrofit. 


About the 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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