Cayuga, Cortland counties win 'longshot' bid for $26M in broadband funding

What was once described as " the longest of longshots " has resulted in $26 million for a major broadband project in Cayuga and Cortland counties.

The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board received the award through the ConnectALL Muncipal Infrastructure Grant Program. It is one of six projects that will get more than $140 million to provide broadband access to over 60,000 businesses and homes.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced the grants Wednesday. The funding for the program is from the federal American Rescue Plan's capital projects fund.

Hochul called the grants "a transformative step forward in our mission to connect every New Yorker to affordable, high-speed internet." Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Schumer, D-N.Y., noted their support for the American Rescue Plan and advocacy for broadband funding.

The grant for the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board will support a $36.2 million project to establish CNYNET, a regional fiber network serving 6,671 locations in Cayuga and Cortland counties. The network will be operated by Empire Access, a New York-based internet service provider.

Cayuga County will provide $7 million for the project, while Cortland County will contribute $3 million.

David Bottar, executive director of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, detailed the project at a Cayuga County Legislature meeting in June. The original plan was for a 335-mile fiber optic that would extend from Cortland to Oswego counties, but would mainly benefit unserved or underserved communities in Cayuga County.

When the board applied for the funding, Bottar said it was "the longest of longshots." He did not expect the state to make a conditional funding reservation — an important step that meant the board's application was under review.

Bottar told the county Legislature that the board would need funding from the counties to bolster its application. His request for Cayuga County was $7 million, which was based on how much of the network would be in the county.

If the board was successful, Bottar said it would be "a big, big win for the region and a big, big win for Cayuga."

A vast majority of Cayuga County households — 95.3%, according to the state Public Service Commission's broadband map — have high-speed internet access. But 1,871 homes lack broadband access and 43 are underserved, the agency says.

In Cortland County, 576 households do not have access to broadband.

Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or . Love Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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