Lawrence was the only area recipient in the state’s latest round of Community Compact Municipal Fiber grants.
The city was formally awarded $250,000 last week to expand the city’s fiber optic infrastructure. It was part of $9 million in grants—more than double the amount awarded in the previous cycle—awarded to 53 communities statewide to support the construction or completion of municipal fiber networks.
“Connectivity and technology are critical for local governments to deliver the types of services our constituents expect. Our ability to grow this program and provide necessary investment for our cities and towns across Massachusetts demonstrates our commitment to partnering with communities to improve their IT infrastructure,” Gov. Maura T. Healey said in a statement.
The Municipal Fiber Grant Program offers competitive grants to support the closing of critical gaps that exist in municipal networks. Awards are focused on connecting municipality-owned facilities and assisting municipalities in achieving critical goals associated with municipal fiber networks, including protection from the growing risk of cyber security exploits targeting local government, the expansion of remote work and meeting the expectations of constituents who enjoy the convenience of interacting with government online.