Stephen Meskers

 

State Reps. Rachel Khanna, Steve Meskers, and Hector Arzeno, who represent Greenwich, are pleased to announce that Verizon's application to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) ConneCTed Communities Grant Program has been selected for funding. All three representatives were strong supporters of Verizon's application with CT DEEP. 

 

The grant, totaling $1,815,488, will help bring Verizon’s FIOS broadband service to residents and businesses in Greenwich.  Reliable broadband service is critical to enabling access to remote work, distance learning, telehealth services, and more.  

 

“We know how important affordable and reliable internet access is,” said Rep. Khanna. “We use it in our schools, for our businesses, and to stay connected. This grant money will have a major positive impact on our community.”

 

“This is great news that will help prepare Greenwich to reach the needed broadband capacity goals of today and future communication technologies,” Rep. Arzeno said. “I look forward to the benefits for all of us in this investment in improving our electronic infrastructure.”

 

“I thank the Governor and DEEP for including Greenwich in this round of funding to bolster broadband access,” Rep. Meskers said. “This funding will ensure that our town does not fall behind other municipalities in our ability to accommodate future demand.”

 

“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 Ned Lamont said. “Awarding these funds is a critical step in the crucial push to make broadband more widely available.”

 

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 communities list, will benefit from $28 million in grants under this initial round. The second round of funding is expected to distribute another $12.8 million in grants, and the application period for the second round opened on October 1. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended in advance of the December 2026 ARPA funding deadline.

 

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.

 

###