NTIA Approves $14.1M to Boost Statewide Digital Equity

08:02AM / Saturday, December 21, 2024Print Story | Email Story

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. - The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) formally approved $14.1 million to fund digital equity programming proposed by Massachusetts' Executive Office of Economic Development.

Through NTIA's Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, this funding will support the launch of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI)'s Launchpad program and the expansion of MBI's Municipal Digital Equity Planning and Implementation programs.

MBI's Launchpad program will receive $9.44 million to support digital equity efforts at a wide range of organizations serving vulnerable populations, including smaller community-based organizations, non-profits and municipalities. The Municipal Digital Equity Planning and Implementation program will receive $1.44 million to help additional municipalities develop and deploy digital equity plans for their communities. An additional $1.46 million will be used for updating the Statewide Digital Equity Plan and conducting program evaluation. Approximately $1.79 million will be used for grant and program administration.

"Massachusetts is working to close the digital divide so that all residents can use the internet to connect with others, access critical services and conduct their daily lives," said Governor Maura Healey. "We thank NTIA for helping our state continue to close digital equity gaps in communities that have been left behind for far too long. With these funds, we will be able to expand training, access and affordability for Massachusetts residents."

NTIA funding will expand skills training, internet devices, and access to broadband services across Massachusetts. NTIA's grant program focuses on vulnerable populations including incarcerated individuals, residents with language barriers and veterans. The program will also address the needs of individuals in rural areas and Gateway Cities, particularly within Barnstable, Bristol and Worcester counties.

The Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program is a result of the Biden-Harris administration's recent approval of the implementation of $147 million in federal funding to expand internet access in Massachusetts under NTIA's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Earlier this year, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced more than $45 million in grants through the Broadband Infrastructure Gap Networks Program to address unserved and underserved locations across the state.

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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.

"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."

The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.

The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.

The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.

Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said.

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