Could the nearly $665-million in federal funding New York is receiving to expand broadband end the digital divide between rural communities and big cities? A report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says yes.
The report states that New York has already made great progress, compared to other states, in deploying broadband, and the state must now craft a plan to spend the federal funding to expand the service to underserved areas.
The most underserved counties are all in Upstate New York with Yates and Schuyler Counties taking 4th and 11th place respectively.
“My office has been monitoring the state’s progress in making high-speed internet available to New Yorkers,” DiNapoli said. “Many parts of the state still lack the infrastructure to support high-speed broadband and this new federal funding will help remove that barrier. The pandemic exposed the struggles many families experienced when work, school, healthcare and commerce went online, and showed that reliable, high-speed internet is imperative for equality of opportunity. How New York utilizes this federal funding will set a critical path for our state’s digital future.”
