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The FCC has awarded New York’s rural broadband authority over $39 million to bring at least 100/20 Mbps broadband service to 15,442 underserved or unserved rural homes in Upstate New York over the next several years. In conjunction with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New NY Broadband Program, the funds will be used to continue expansion of internet service until the state is satisfied that any resident that wants internet service can get it.
Providers can begin tapping funds as early as this month, if they agree to complete their buildouts to not less of 40 percent of designated addresses within three years. Providers will have up to six years in total to complete each project. The recipients now being funded:
- $854,652 for GTel Teleconnections in Germantown, to extend service to 260 residents in the Capital Region
- $4.27 million will go to MTC Cable/Margaretville Telephone Co, Margaretville for 1,659 rural addresses in the Capital Region, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, and Southern Tier
- Just under $4.3 million was awarded to Otsego Electric Cooperative of Hartwick for 1,146 addresses in the Mohawk Valley
- $11.3 million awarded to SLIC Network Solutions of Nicholville for 4,610 rural premises in the Capital Region and North Country
- $18.5 million will go to Verizon Communications of New York to bring fiber to the home service for 7,767 rural premises in the Capital Region, Central NY, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and the Southern Tier
The million dollar question is this: Who, where or what does a NYS homeowner without broadband contact to get service? I am now the only house on my road without Spectrum. SLIC won’t touch my road, because Spectrum is there and the state/Fed won’t pay them to run the fiber. Every prospective wireless broadband provider never materializes. So again, who do you contact? I have complained so much, the NYS Broadband FB page won’t even let me post there. I have written the PSC in Albany and the Governor’s office. I got replies……eight months later. Again, who do you contact?… Read more »
I agree, I’ll believe this when I see it. I’m also not in an area that currently can get any sort of wired broadband service (only satellite) and programs seem to come and go without any change. Also based on this article it appears my area is not included so even if this does pan out, I fear it will not help me.
I’m sure it won’t. Besides, how do they even know who wants service? According to the maps FCC and NYS Broadband use, I am served. Citizens like us are going to be left behind. It’s pretty obvious at this point. The federal government has to designate broadband a utility. They refuse to do it.