Municipal Fiber Grant Program

The Municipal Fiber Grant Program is a competitive initiative established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support municipalities in developing or completing their municipal fiber network infrastructure. Designed to address existing gaps in local government connectivity, this grant targets the enhancement of centralized IT systems, cyber resilience, and overall operational efficiency within municipalities. Fiber infrastructure plays a crucial role in enabling centralized network monitoring, cybersecurity management, digital recordkeeping, and robust backup and disaster recovery capabilities. The program’s central stipulation is that any fiber infrastructure procured with the grant funding must be municipally owned. The program was conceived in response to a range of increasing demands on local government IT systems. These include a rise in cyber threats targeting municipalities, growing expectations for cloud-based applications and collaborative remote work capabilities, and the necessity for centralized control over security systems and communication tools. The ability to deploy fiber infrastructure allows municipalities to better respond to these pressures, achieve greater efficiencies through bulk internet service procurement, and build resilient systems for emergency operations and public safety coordination. This initiative places a strong emphasis on supporting municipalities that did not receive awards in the FY24 cycle, ensuring that more communities can gain access to this critical infrastructure investment. It directly supports efforts to bolster continuity of government functions, improve interoperability among public safety technologies, and provide enhanced internet bandwidth for daily operations. The FY25 application window opened on March 10, 2025 and closed on April 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. All municipalities in Massachusetts were eligible to apply, excluding those that were awarded funding during FY24. All fiber infrastructure purchased through the program was required to remain under municipal ownership. Additional program information for the FY26 cycle is expected to be released at a later date, indicating that the grant is recurring in nature. The program is administered online, with primary contact available through Senior Deputy Commissioner Sean Cronin at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. His email contact is croninse@dor.state.ma.us. Applicants are advised to monitor the department’s communications for updated guidance on future cycles and evolving application requirements.