PCCA Journal|1
st
Quarter 2015
33
N
ew York Governor Andrew
Cuomo in January outlined a
$1 billion broadband program
that he said will leverage both public
and private resources to ensure every
New Yorker has access to high-speed
internet by 2019. He called it the largest
and boldest state investment in universal
broadband deployment in the country.
Cuomo plans to create a $500 million
New NY Broadband Program utilizing
capital funds from bank settlements to
incentivize the private sector to expand
high-speed broadband access in under-
served and unserved areas.
Broadband providers and communities
will use the funding to deliver service
in a given area and must adhere to the
following qualifications:
s
Matching private-sector invest-
ments.
Broadband providers seeking
to utilize this funding must provide at
least a 1:1 financial match, which will
push the size of the program above
$1 billion. The state expects that its
investment will serve to stimulate
competition in the broadband market
where none or little exists, improving
affordability and quality of service.
s
Unprecedented broadband speed.
Broadband providers must provide
internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps,
with funding priority given to those
delivering the highest speeds at the
lowest cost. In certain limited cases,
providers may offer 25 Mbps speeds
to the most remote unserved and
underserved areas of the state (more
than three times the current standard)
scalable to 100 Mbps or more—if this
provides the best means of achiev-
ing universal broadband access to the
region.
s
Local input to guide development.
Building on the successful Connect NY
model, each Regional Economic Devel-
opment Council (REDC) will submit a
comprehensive plan to the state that
identifies unserved and underserved
areas; aggregates demand across
residential, institutional and business
sectors; details the most cost-effective
means to provide universal access;
and leverages state-owned assets
where possible.
New York Pushes Broadband Agenda
Continued on page 34
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