2 weeks Ago
The local award was included among the technical assistance grants funding eight projects across the state totaling $1.5 million combined through the Regional and Local Assistance Program announced by Empire State Development on Monday. It’s part of the state’s ConnectALL initiative seeking to expand broadband access, affordability and equity across New York.
“The county still has a lot of residents that are either unserved or underserved in terms of broadband connection,” said Alex Kuttesch, senior planner at the Montgomery County Business Development Center. “It’s important for us, as kind of a public service, to pursue broadband for everyone. It’s important for our residents and economic development in the county.
” State funding for such planning and research efforts at the local and regional level will lay the groundwork for strategic investment in broadband infrastructure to benefit communities and close the digital divide, according to Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight. “These grants will empower our government partners across the state to address the unique broadband needs of their regions so all New Yorkers can have the connectivity they need to thrive in the digital age,” Knight said in a prepared statement. Montgomery County received the maximum available funding award, which will be used to study the feasibility of extending broadband infrastructure to unserved areas and identify the best options to pursue additional funding for future projects.
“For reaching those hard to reach addresses, you kind of have to have every option on the table. We’re going to explore everything,” Kuttesch said. Officials have previously mapped out areas that are unserved or underserved by broadband internet.
There are pockets of service gaps around the county, but issues are most common in rural areas. Approximately 8.6% of the county is unserved with roughly 1,773 households lacking internet connections, according to the New York State Broadband Map .
Although officials know where broadband is needed, Kuttesch said an economic feasibility study hasn’t previously been done to determine how to extend infrastructure to those areas and the eventual rate residents would be charged to access service to evaluate affordability. “We have to take additional steps to figure out what it takes to get broadband to those people,” Kuttesch said. The county will hire a consultant to lead the planning process working with the county and involving officials from towns and villages.
A firm will likely be selected at the beginning of the year, with the study expected to be conducted throughout 2025. Once completed, Kuttesch said the study will be used as a decision making tool and a roadmap to seek funding for identified projects. The state funding is enabling the county to lead the way in taking the first step in the process to expand broadband access locally, which likely would have been difficult for small communities in the area to fund and undertake on their own.
Expanding broadband access countywide and more broadly across the state has become a priority as the internet has increasingly been interwoven into everyday life, commonly used to access basic services and amenities. “With people having the opportunity to work remotely, it makes us more competitive when people are considering moving here,” Kuttesch said. “If you want to start a business from home, you have to have great access to broadband.
Even just applying for a job online or getting telehealth services, it's just easier to access things you need to have the quality of life that you're looking for.” -.
