MONTICELLO >> Hardly a month goes by without the lack of wide broadband Internet coverage coming up when Sullivan County lawmakers get together. Large areas of the rural county with a relatively small population don’t have it.
There may be hope with a new approach being put forth at the state level, called the New NY Broadband Program. The program will offer $500 million in public funds for Internet service providers willing to match the state dollar-for-dollar.
The director of the state Broadband Program Office was in Monticello on Friday, addressing about 75 citizens, along with local and county officials.
David Salway said the goal of the Cuomo administration, by 2019 is to have all of the state, including all of Sullivan County, meeting the minimum broadband standard of 100 megabytes per second (MBS).
“Every sector really has a need for broadband access and the idea is to drive utilization and adoption up so it makes the provider incentive to invest much greater because they’re looking at a revenue opportunity for the years to come,” Salway said.
That has not been happening in Sullivan County, notes county Legislator Cora Edwards. “I’m hoping that with this universal access push, there will be greater incentives for providers to be in an area like this,” she said.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, of Forestburgh, said there are personal stories of how not having access to modern communications, in the 21st century, can affect lives. “I remember there was a story – and it was actually from Willowemoc – that a gentleman waiting for a transplant and he didn’t get the call and they couldn’t get him by the Internet, so we really need something to make sure that peole can communicate,” Gunther said. “And, you know, it’s 2015; it’s time.”
Gunther said she is optimistic about the new state program.
So is Edwards. “I think the fact that they’re using the words ‘universal service’ makes a big difference to the way that we’re going to move forward in Sullivan County, because when we hear the word ‘universal,’ we mean ‘universal,’ whether it’s people that are underserved – meaning they don’t have the speed they want – or whether they’re not served – meaning that Internet service doesn’t come to their homes.”
Edwards said at the county level, Sullivan needs a dedicated telecommunications resource person who can tie all of the municipalities together.
The 2015 Ulster County budget appropriates money for expanding broadband access within Ulster County.
