Cuomo Signs Legislation To Provide Affordable Internet To Households

Governor Andrew Cuomo is signing legislation establishing the first-in-the-nation requirement for affordable broadband.

The Governor signed the Comprehensive Broadband Connectivity Act in Buffalo today.

He says all Internet Service Providers operating in New York State must offer $15 a month high-speed internet to low-income families across the state.

Cuomo says a basic high-speed internet plan, on average, costs more than $50 per month.

To further bridge the internet gap in New York, the State has partnered with Schmidt Futures and the Ford Foundation to launch an emergency fund to provide approximately 50,000 students in economically disadvantaged school districts with free internet access through June 2022.

"High-speed internet is essential to our everyday lives, and as we continue to reopen our state and adjust to new norms that have been shaped by the pandemic, we need to make sure every household has access to affordable internet,"  Cuomo said. "Remote learning, remote working, and telemedicine are not going away. This program - the first of its kind in the nation - will ensure that no New Yorker will have to forego having reliable home internet service and no child's education will have to suffer due to their economic situation."