$22M retrofit program will expand high-speed internet in affordable housing

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech on March 6 announced the launch of the Residential Internet Retrofit Program, a $22 million statewide initiative to equip public and affordable housing units across the state with high-speed internet for current and future residents.

The MBI will bring together internet service providers and property owners to upgrade telecommunications wiring, equipment and infrastructure within older housing developments to provide residents with the necessary network capabilities to fully use high-speed internet service that is essential for daily activities such as communicating with friends and family, remote work, online educational opportunities, and telehealth appointments.

“Our economic future depends on high-quality internet access for all, especially for low-income populations who have been historically overlooked and disproportionately impacted by the digital divide,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “The Retrofit Program takes an equitable approach to addressing the root causes of low-quality internet service in public and affordable housing. This program makes direct investments that will lead to enhanced connectivity for residents.”

MBI director Michael Baldino added that a substantial portion of public housing buildings are more than 50 years old.

“Low-income families in these buildings face barriers to accessing the speeds offered by broadband service if the wiring in their apartments pre-dates the internet age,” he said.

The Retrofit Program will engage with property managers and internet service providers, who will work together to build out infrastructure that fully connects public and affordable housing units to high-speed internet.

The effort will involve updating the wiring infrastructure of approximately 22,000 units in affordable housing developments across the state. Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund, launched as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The project is part of $175 million in total CPF funding overseen by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to address the digital divide in Massachusetts, which includes the ongoing Gap Networks Grant Program launched by the MBI in October of 2023.

Housing operators interested in joining the Residential Internet Retrofit Program should submit an expression of interest via the MBI’s online form, which collects basic organizational information, along with the addresses of eligible properties the operator wishes to submit to the program. This spring, the MBI will launch a Request For Information, which will help inform the launch of a formal Request For Proposal later in 2024. The MBI will then issue quarterly RFPs with an updated list of eligible locations statewide, based on the submissions of interest from housing operators.