ALBANY, N.Y. — More than $70 million will be used to connect people across NYS to high-speed broadband internet. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the plan on Friday as part of a $228 million federal investment.
The projects will build more than 800 miles of public broadband infrastructure and expects to connect more than 25,000 homes and businesses.
“These awards mark the next step in our billion-dollar effort to close New York’s digital divide," Governor Hochul said. “Thanks to our historic ConnectALL initiative and support from the Biden administration and New York’s congressional delegation, we are funding projects from Syracuse to Franklin County to strengthen our broadband infrastructure and bring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to more than 25,000 New York families.”
The first round of expansion awardees includes Central New York, Southern Tier, The Finger Lakes, and North County Regions. A combined $34 million was awarded to the Southern Tier for Southern Tier Network, the Village and Town of Sherburne, the Town of Columbus, the Town of Dryden, and the Town of Caroline. The latest improvements in broadband will offer 'symmetric service options' at below average prices.
Southern Tier Network, a nonprofit governed by the counties in the Southern Tier Central Region, will add over 200 miles of fiber optic infrastructure. The Village of Sherburne and the Village of Sherburne and Columbus, will connect over 500 locations across the two towns. And, The Town of Dryden and the Town of Caroline in Tompkins County are working to bring new public broadband service to over 2,600 locations.
ConnectAll Initiative is New York's largest investment in broadband access totaling $1 billion.
For more information on ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure program and details on the awardees, visit the NYS website here.
