Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Massachusetts Broadband Institute on May 21 announced more than $22 million in Residential Retrofit Program grants to upgrade internet access for nearly 15,800 affordable housing units in 54 communities in Massachusetts.
The Residential Retrofit Program partners with housing operators and internet service providers to install fiber-optic cable in public and affordable housing properties to increase residents’ access to high-quality, reliable and affordable broadband service.
The following providers and public housing operators received awards in the third round of the program:
• Aervivo Inc: $20.1 million for 15,063 housing units
• Comcast Cable Communications: $1.1 million for 485 housing units
• RingSquared, DBA AccessPlus: $1 million for 245 housing units
The award announcement is the third and largest round for the $82 million Residential Retrofit Program. Earlier rounds in December 2024 and March 2025 awarded $16.7 million in funding.
The fourth round of the program launched on May 7, and internet service providers may submit applications through June 10.
Housing operators interested in applying to the following round may submit an expression of interest form by July 31.
For more information, visit broadband.masstech.org/retrofit.
The program also supports internet adoption in affordable housing through a new $8 million Retrofit Ancillary Grantee program. RANGE provides funding for adoption assistance to housing operators that have participated in previous rounds of the Residential Retrofit Program. These measures include digital navigation and literacy, tenant coordination, and public space improvements.
Funding for both programs comes from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund through the American Rescue Plan Act.
For more about the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, visit broadband.masstech.org.