A special federal fund is offsetting $849,309 of broadband and Internet/Ethernet costs for three Connecticut Federally Qualified Health Centers that are members of the Simsbury-based American Healthcare Connect Consortium.
The Healthcare Connect Fund offsets 65 percent of qualifying organizations’ broadband costs. Consortium members in Connecticut benefiting from the fund, retroactive to Aug. 1 and running the next two years, are Community Health Center Inc., based in Middletown, which had 15 sites approved; Optimus Health Care Inc., based in Bridgeport, which had eight sites approved; and Southwest Community Health Center Inc., also based in Bridgeport, which had five sites approved.
The Healthcare Connect Fund receives $400 million annually from the Federal Communications Commission to assist certain public and not-for-profit healthcare organizations. Healthcare organizations in nonrural areas must be members of a consortium to qualify for funds.
The Healthcare Connect Fund receives its money from a tax all Americans with personal and business phones pay the FCC on their telephone and mobile phone bills.
Fiber Technologies Inc., now part of Lightower Fiber Networks, has a contract with the consortium to provide high-speed broadband and Internet/Ethernet for consortium members. The consortium is talking with potential new members in Connecticut and nationally who want to take advantage of the 65 percent cost-offset program. For more information, contact consortium leader Doug Arnold at dsarnold27@comcast.net.
