Schumer, Hochul announce $11 million for high-speed internet expansion in Orleans County

ALBION – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced $11 million in funding to expand high-speed internet in Orleans County.

The funding was part of $140 million announced on Wednesday in ConnectAll grants. Other award winners include: City of Jamestown, $29.9 million; Schoharie County, $30 million; Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board in Cayuga and Cortland counties, $26 million; Franklin County, $13.1 million; and Sullivan County, $29.9 million.

“Access to high-speed internet is not luxury, but a necessity, a utility as vital as electricity for everyday life,” Schumer said in a news release. “Upstate NY takes a major step towards closing the digital divide.”

Gov. Hochul said the grants are “a transformative step forward in our mission to connect every New Yorker to affordable, high-speed internet.”

The grants are funded primarily through the U.S. Department of the Treasury Capital Projects Fund via the American Rescue Plan.

The Orleans County Legislature last month announced the funding had been awarded to the county. The Legislature on Oct. 22 accepted the $11,562,698 grant to upgrade wireless internet service throughout the county.

The Orleans County Department of Planning and Development applied for the grant through Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program. This will allow the county to increase wireless internet speeds from the current 25 Mega Bit Per Seconds (Mbps) to 100 (Mbps).

The county recently completed a build-out of a wireless internet system. There are now 19 towers and the county will add two or three more, likely near Lake Ontario where there are gaps in internet coverage, county officials said.

Orleans has two years to complete the project, upgrading the internet infrastructure on all the towers so 100 Mbps is available in download and upload speeds. The grant also will include a digital literacy component to help people learn about the technology.

County legislators on Oct. 22 accepted a bid of $11,216,500 from North Shore Networks LLC in Medina to implement the faster internet service. That company is led by Duston Ellis, who worked over a decade in Kentucky for Broadlinc, helping run a high-speed internet service in a rural area.

The press release from Schumer states the following about the Orleans County expanded high-speed internet service:

“Orleans County will utilize $11 million in MIP funds to extend its wireless internet network to serve more than 11,000 locations with 100/100 Mbps speed. In 2020, thanks to American Rescue Plan funding that Schumer provided to Orleans County, the County was able to realize a decade-long dream to expand high speed internet access across the County.

“This new $11 million project will build on that successful 2020 wireless internet project the County launched with RTO Wireless, by installing 21 wireless hubs on existing and new towers. The County will own the network, which RTO Wireless will design, construct, maintain, and operate. The towers will be open for lease to other ISPs.

“The County will also extend its partnership with the United Way to provide digital literacy training and community outreach, addressing the adoption barrier among low-income households. The project addresses the challenge of providing high-speed internet in rural areas with a low population density of 103 people per square mile.

“The County’s cutting-edge wireless solution, combined with strong community partnerships, provides a cost-effective alternative to fiber networks, promoting digital equity and enhancing connectivity for residents, businesses, education, and the agricultural community.”