Cuomo looks to incentivize broadband upgrades
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo launched a campaign last week pushing his $500 million proposal to bring high-speed Internet access to all New Yorkers by the end of 2018.
The program proposed by the governor would use $500 million from bank settlements to incentivize private companies to bring high-speed broadband to unserved areas and expand access in underserved areas. The governor’s office said broadband providers will contribute, on average, at least 50 percent of the capital needed, pushing the size of the program past $1 billion.
Broadband, with a standard download speed set by the Federal Communications Commission at 25 megabits per second, is not available to more than 25 percent of the state”™s population, according to a statement released by Cuomo’s office. And more than half of the population in 46 of New York”™s 62 counties, including Sullivan and Ulster counties in the mid-Hudson Valley region, did not have access to broadband as of July.
Under the governor’s plan, Internet companies would have to provide speeds of at least 100 megabits per second, with limited exceptions in which 25 Mbps rates would be allowed.
The Cuomo administration is also charging the state’s Regional Economic Development Councils with providing comprehensive plans that identify the most needy areas and cost-effective ways to deliver access to broadband.