Three internet service providers have been awarded more than $52.9 million to help bring internet service to Chautauqua County and other areas of New York State.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced approximately $391 million in proposed awards under the ConnectALL Deployment Program to 11 internet service providers who have committed a total of more than $245 million in matching funds to address nearly 54,000 locations in the state. If approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) following a public comment process, these federal awards will achieve universal broadband connectivity by reaching every documented unserved and underserved location across New York State. Members of the public can submit comments on the planned awards through the ConnectALL Deployment Program website until 3:59 PM on September 24.
The three companies receiving awards that propose serving 3,517 locations in Chautauqua County include:
$5,454,547 to Consolidated Communications Enterprise Services, Inc. with a $3,594,633 match to serve 1,083 locations in Chautauqua, Columbia, and Rensselaer Counties with fiber optic technology.
$20,422,500 to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. with a $18,704,831 match to serve 13,615 locations in 37 counties and three Tribal Reservations, including the Allegany Reservation, with low Earth orbit satellite technology.
$27,038,640 to Spectrum Northeast, LLC with a $4,123,250 match to serve 2,919 locations in Chautauqua County and Tuscarora Nation with fiber optic technology.
Hochul said, “In this day and age, internet access is no longer just a luxury — it is a necessity to connect individuals to everyday essentials from education to healthcare. Every community in New York State deserves to have access to the internet and it is time we uplift our underserved communities, providing them with more opportunities and resources.”
The awarded projects will deliver fiber optic infrastructure to approximately 31 percent of the eligible locations and fixed wireless service to approximately 44 percent. The grant awards will reserve satellite capacity for the remaining 25 percent of locations, with grant payments made based on subscription milestones.
ConnectALL has provided additional detail, including a breakdown of awards by county, on its website. The funding for these awards comes from $664.6 million that Congress allocated to the State of New York in 2023 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD). The Law states that the remaining funds in the allocation can be used for broadband adoption, installing internet, or for providing reduced-cost broadband within multi-family residential buildings, among other purposes, pending future guidance from NTIA.
Leave a Reply