After years of planning and work behind the scenes, Ulster County has received news this week that broadband fiber will be run to all 1,293 unserved locations in the County under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program through a grant of $17.3 million to Verizon and an additional $41.7 million private sector match from the company.
Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher convened the Ulster County Citizens Commission for Digital Inclusion four years ago in May of 2022. The Comptroller’s Office provided administrative and technical staffing support to the Commission on an ongoing basis. The Commission members were drawn from a wide geographic distribution and a variety of backgrounds.
The Commission met many times over the last four years and held three Broadband Town Halls. The Commission gathered information from elected officials and citizens on gaps in broadband service and submitted challenges to both FCC and NYS maps to ensure that every unserved location was properly identified and that all appropriate community anchor institutions were mapped.
Over the course of the last four years, the Commission met with fiber providers including Margaretville Telephone Company, Archtop Fiber, Planet Network, Verizon and Charter/Spectrum. The Commission monitored the work of fiber enhancements being rolled out by providers as BEAD was under review. The Commission assisted Ulster County residents and organizations gain access to broadband services including the expansion of Charter/Spectrum service in multiple locations and the running of fiber through the hamlet of Phoenicia. The Commission has also monitored cellular connectivity and worked with the NYS ConnectALL Program staff to pilot on the ground cellular gap testing.
When the Comptroller heard rumblings of an infrastructure bill in 2022 that would provide funding for broadband, she wanted to make sure that Ulster County was in the best position to receive funding to fill our gaps in broadband service. The Comptroller convened individuals from around the County who were passionate about broadband connectivity and had a wide range of skills and backgrounds. This group of volunteers, led by their Chair Jenny Lee, accomplished phenominal work that created the foundation for this momentous award.
The Comptroller and Commission members were concerned that Ulster County would be pushed into satellite and fixed point wireless locations for broadband connectivity when we know that these technologies do not work in the mountainous topography for a significant unserved portion of the County. Instead, through hard work, tireless advocacy, collaboration with the County Executive, and building relationships with government and industry partners, Ulster County is looking at the biggest roll out of fiber in the State of New York.
The Comptroller’s Office and the Citizens Commission for Digital Inclusion will continue to monitor the implementation of fiber installation and report to the public on progress as this project moves forward.
