(TNS) — The days of cell phone dead zones and Internet deserts across Ulster County could be coming to an end.
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger announced via press release on Thursday that Verizon is on tap to receive $20.8 million through New York State’s ConnectALL Deployment Program to expand broadband access to nearly 1,300 unserved households, businesses, and community facilities located in more remote and less densely populated areas in Ulster County.
The funding is part of a larger $391 million grant to the state under the federal Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program created in the 2022 Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act to expand high-speed Internet access in unserved and underserved areas of the country.
In New York, the program is administered by the NYS ConnectALL Office and targets the final 1% of locations in the state without reliable Internet access, typically in more rural areas of the state.
According to the release, the funding will enable Verizon to extend its point-to-point fiber optic network to eligible locations throughout the county.
“Reliable broadband is a necessity in today’s world for education, work, healthcare, public safety, and daily life,” Metzger said in the release. “Thanks to the NYS ConnectALL award and Verizon’s substantial match, nearly 1,300 homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions in rural Ulster County will finally be connected with reliable fiber optic service.”
Verizon has committed $40,938,790 to the project, bringing the total project funding to $61,799,320.
Although the project needs final approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Assistant Deputy County Executive Amberly Campbell said the significant investment promised by Verizon puts the project at “minimum risk” of not getting approved.
Campbell said the project could begin as early as January.
Jenny Lee, chairman of the Citizens Commission for Digital Inclusion, said the announcement of the grant award was “a proud moment for our Commission.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure that every location, no matter how remote, has a fair shot at digital access,” she said. “The Internet touches every part of life — from employment to education to social connection — and this award levels the playing field for all. Our research showed that fiber optics was the optimal solution and that Verizon, with its existing infrastructure and workforce, was uniquely qualified to implement it. In addition, Verizon’s match is critical to bringing this buildout to fruition.”
Comptroller March Gallagher, who established the commission in 2022, called the award “a direct result of the Commission’s meticulous mapping, unwavering community outreach, and tireless advocacy.”
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