TMCnet News
DANC gets broadband-funds boostDec 18, 2009 (Watertown Daily Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Development Authority of the North Country will receive $5 million to $20 million from the federal government to add broadband infrastructure for high-speed Internet access in Northern New York. The award is part of a $39.7 million project. DANC is a partner with ION HoldCo., Albany, a telecommunications coalition. The grant comes in the first round of $4.7 billion designated for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, funded as part of $7.2 billion in the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "Our priorities have been very consistent with the priorities of the federal government," DANC Chief Executive Officer James W. Wright said. "There's been a recognition over time that access to commercial Internet is key to competing in the global economy." The federal grant will cover 80 percent of the project cost, with the state and local partner each contributing 10 percent. In Northern New York, DANC will finish a line from Boonville to Utica, completing a loop that connects Watertown to Syracuse. That 70- to 100-mile stretch will give the fiber-optic system the protection of redundancy. DANC also will build a line through low-density areas in eastern St. Lawrence County, completing a loop that connects Star Lake and Cranberry Lake to Potsdam. DANC also could build two routes east, depending on who gets later contracts with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The entire 1,300-mile project is considered "middle-mile" infrastructure, connecting unserved or underserved communities to the Internet backbone, according to the project description. Private service providers can then build "last-mile" connections to homes and businesses. "It's an essential component for any region to be competitive," Mr. Wright said. The project will serve about 300 anchor institutions and immediately connect more than 100 entities, including libraries, state and community colleges, state and county agencies and health clinics. It also could lead to service for 250,000 households and 38,000 businesses. Service providers would need to make the last-mile connections. ION HoldCo. already has developed and managed more than 2,200 miles of fiber through rural New York. DANC manages a fiber route of more than 750 miles. Mr. Wright said the first-round award was a "real testament" to the application, which matched with federal priorities of having a private-public partnership, access to the underserved and connection for health care, educational and community facilities. To see more of the Watertown Daily Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |