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ORDER OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT A GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NOT TO EXCEED $277,617.00 TO SUPPORT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO BROADBAND INTERNET IN NEW HAVEN THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
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WHEREAS, a lack of high speed internet access for many low-income households within the City of New Haven (the "City") has a negative impact on such households and serves to widen inequalities of opportunity between residents of the City; and
WHEREAS, such negative impact was most recently seen during the COVID-19 pandemic as children from low-income households struggled with access to remote learning; and
WHEREAS, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 appropriated $14.2 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program (the "ACP"), which provides qualifying low-income households with discounts on broadband service and connected devices, and expressly authorizes Federal Communications Commission (the "FCC") outreach in support of the ACP, including the provision of grants by the FCC to the FCC outreach partners; and
WHEREAS, approximately sixty (60%) percent of qualifying low-income households in the City are not signed up for the ACP and increasing participation in the ACP among qualifying households within the City is a cornerstone of the City's approach to enhancing equitable accessible to high-speed for all residents of the City; and
WHEREAS, the FCC has established the ACP Outreach Grant Program to provide eligible governmental and non-governmental entities with the funding and resources needed to increase awareness of and participation in the ACP among those eligible households most in need of affordable connectivity; and
WHEREAS, the City, acting through its Economic Development Administration and New Haven Free Public Library, proposes to partner with Concepts for Adaptive Learning ("CfAL") and Elm City Communities ("ECC") to create a two-year long pro...
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