Slow progress on high speed internet

By LIAM MAYO
Posted 5/2/23

MONTICELLO, NY — Lots of work is going on in the background for Sullivan County’s broadband project, but big announcements or big developments are still far away. 

County …

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Slow progress on high speed internet

Posted

MONTICELLO, NY — Lots of work is going on in the background for Sullivan County’s broadband project, but big announcements or big developments are still far away. 

County government established the Sullivan County Broadband LDC in 2020 with the goal of providing broadband (i.e. “high speed”) internet service to underserved county residents. Since then, two paths have developed: the county plans to put wireless broadband transmitters in its public safety towers; and the county also plans to partner with Archtop Fiber to build out wired connections. 

The first path—the installation of wireless broadband equipment—received a boost in June of 2022, when the LDC received $1.7 million in funding from the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

The next steps include bidding for a contractor to install that equipment. The bid has been submitted to the EDA, and will go out to the public once it gets a stamp of approval, according to LDC chairman Michael Brooks. 

Once that contractor is on board, the LDC can start moving the project along. It will run independently of the LDC’s other path—its partnership with Archtop—though both will help each other out, according to the county. 

Archtop will help the LDC with the back-office aspect of the project, said Brooks. In addition, the LDC and Archtop will coordinate their build-outs for efficient coverage of Sullivan County. 

Archtop has plans beyond Sullivan County. It plans to invest up to $350 million to reach 500,000 homes and businesses across the wider Hudson Valley region, and has announced both business and municipal partnerships in that effort, partnering with the town and village of Saugerties in Ulster County and purchasing Hancock Telephone Company in Delaware County. 

Sullivan County remains Archtop’s first priority, Brooks said. More announcements will come out as plans get further along. “This is an exercise in extreme patience,” he added.

sullivan county, broadband, internet, high speed, wireless, archtop

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