April Broadband Update

The Board of Supervisors' Broadband Subcommittee met on March 27, 2017.  Committee Chair John Reilly provided the committee with several updates including the anticipated March 30th announcement for Request for Proposals for Round III of the New NY Broadband Program.  Round III is the final round of funding to secure access to high-speed internet for all New Yorkers by the end of 2018, and targets all remaining unserved areas across the state, seeking to provide access to high-speed broadband to even the most rural Upstate communities.

Broadband maps of all Columbia County municipalities are available on the Columbia County website.  

-- Governor's Press Release
-- New York Broadband Program Office

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Initial Mapping Project Completed

The initial mapping project has been completed and is available for viewing using the “Broadband Drop Box.”  The community has the chance to review these maps and provide more defined information on the service areas and levels.  To view the "Broadband Drop Box," please contact CEDC Economic Developer Ed Stiffler at 518.828.4718 or email [email protected].  
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Columbia County Broadband November Newsletter

The Broadband Sub-Committee held its monthly meeting on October 24, 2016. Chairman John Reilly provided the committee with updates on Phase 2 of the New NY Broadband Program which will award grant funding to applicants to provide Last-Mile services to unserved and underserved areas of the State.  Applications for Phase 2 are due on November 30, 2016.  Read more.

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New CEDC Broadband E-Publication 

​The Inaugural Issue -- Columbia County Broadband is a monthly CEDC e-publication focused on the Columbia County Board of Supervisor's Countywide Broadband Initiative, along with local, regional and state broadband information and resources.  Read more.

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Broadband Update Memorandum from Board Chair Matt Murell

May 23, 2016 -- On the request of Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell, Columbia County Commissioner of Planning & Economic Development Ken Flood recently drafted a Memorandum, updating Chairman Murell, the Board of Supervisors, and the public on the work being done at the county level to improve broadband access across the county.  Many meetings have been held, and much work has been done. Read the memo in its entirety here.

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ECC Technologies Conducts Countywide Broadband Survey

March 25, 2015 (Columbia-Greene Media) -- The Columbia Economic Development Corporation last week chose ECC Technologies, a Penfield-based technology and communications consulting group, to conduct a countywide broadband connectivity survey. The $40,000 survey is the latest step in a plan to establish broadband access throughout the county with the least access in the state. Read more.
March 2016 map of New York State shows where broadband is available, and where it is not.  The vast majority of Upstate is either underserved, or unserved altogether. 
Bob Puckett, New York State Telecom Association; David Salway, Director of the New York State Broadband Program Office; Congressman Gibson; and Robert Gehrer, Director of the Broadband Mapping Office.
In March 2015, Columbia County contracted with broadband experts ECC Technologies to prepare a market feasibility and preliminary engineering study to expand broadband telecommunication services within the County.  View their report here.