Applications are now open for the $100 million Affordable Housing
Connectivity Program, which aims to design and install broadband
infrastructure at 100,000 affordable housing units across New York
state.
New
York’s Affordable Housing Connectivity Program is a competitive grant
program designed to fund high-speed, reliable broadband infrastructure
to and within low-income housing buildings. Internet service providers
are invited to apply for $100 million in federal funding for retrofits
to provide internet infrastructure in affordable housing rental units to
support high-speed internet.
Property owners must complete a survey to
be considered for no-cost broadband upgrades to their building. Empire
State Development’s ConnectALL Office will pair eligible properties with
the best proposals from Internet Service Providers to complete the
installation.
This $100 million investment in New York State comes from the $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Projects Fund.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has grounded the United
States' entire fleet of CV-22 Ospreys while an investigation into a Nov.
29 crash off the Japanese coast is ongoing.
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the AFSOC commander, said in a Dec. 6 media statement
he had directed an immediate "operational standdown" of the Osprey
fleet until the investigation into the crash off the shore of Japan's
Yakushima Island, Japan, is concluded.
So far, no timeline for the investigation and a possible end date have been revealed publicly.
In a separate Dec. 6 media statement,
the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) also said that "Out of an
abundance of caution," it was "instituting a grounding bulletin for all
V-22 Osprey variants" immediately. NAVAIR said the decision was a direct
result of the crash in Yakushima, and the grounding bulletin was to
ensure everyone's safety.
"While the mishap remains under
investigation, we are implementing additional risk mitigation controls
to ensure the safety of our service members," the federal agency said.
"The
Joint Program Office continues to communicate and collaborate with all
V-22 stakeholders and customers, including allied partners."
Japan had asked the U.S. military to ground all Osprey aircraft
not engaged in emergency recovery operations following the Nov. 29
training mission crash. At the same time, Senior Japanese Defense
Ministry official Taro Yamato announced all 14 of its Ospreys had been
grounded for now.
An MV-22B Osprey with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron
(VMX) 1 transports ordnance during an Expeditionary Advanced Base
Operation (EABO) exercise to Old Highway 101 near Marine Corps Base Camp
Pendleton, Calif., on May 25, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP)
Osprey
crashes have plagued the U.S. military for years. A fatal crash that
killed three in August led to the Marines ordering a safety review of
the aircraft.
The fleet was also grounded earlier this year
following yet another incident. Last year, AFSOC ordered a temporary
stand-down of its Osprey fleet following safety incidents where the
clutch slipped, causing an uneven power distribution to the rotors.
