BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York State, through its ConnectALL office, is partnering with WNY Digital Equity Coalition to host a broadband access listening session on March 22.
The event is taking place at Highmark Stadium at 9:30 a.m.
During her 2022 state of the state address, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced ambitious goals for expanding broadband access in New York.
Hochul announced over $1 billion towards a variety of programs that would increase access. The governor also announced a broadband access committee that where industry leaders, labor representatives and public advocates would convene to work on closing the digital divide.
Much of the $1 billion will be funded by the federal government through the bipartisan infrastructure bill. While the state has applied for funding for a variety of projects, none of the infrastructure bill money has been awarded yet.
Several grants, totaling $17 million, were awarded in 2022 but were funded by different federal and state entities.
A spokesperson for the ConnectALL office also confirmed that the committee the governor created has not yet convened a meeting.
The purpose of Wednesday's meeting is for community stakeholders to learn more about the status of several projects the ConnectALL office is working on.
The state is also required to host these meetings if they want access to the federal funding they're seeking to fulfill the digital equity promises they made.
"We have an incredible opportunity with our digital equity and broadband deployment grants to engage New Yorkers in every single region," said Joshua Breitbart, SVP of the ConnectALL office.
Part of the governor's 2022 broadband announcement was the creation of a digital equity champion within the ConnectALL office. This position is focused on the issues of access to tools like computers and training, rather than broadband availability.
Several representatives from the ConnectALL office will be in attendance Wednesday morning.
"It's really about understanding the comprehensive needs of New Yorkers," Breitbart said.
The meeting is also being hosted by the WNY Digital Equity Coalition, the largest public advocacy organization focused on broadband and digital equity in the region.
The coalition was formed at the height of the pandemic, when it became abundantly clear that some of the state's claims regarding access didn't match the reality New Yorkers were facing at home.
"Universally, I think they all agree that access to broadband is insufficient to meet everybody's needs," said Don Matteson from the WNYDEC. "Everybody can use more accessible equipment, and there's no shortage of need for digital skills."
To participate in the meeting, follow these instructions. The meeting can also be viewed remotely via zoom.