New York State Broadband Development And Deployment Council Releases 2010 Annual Report

Daniel C. Chan, New York State Acting Chief Information Officer and Chair of the New York State Broadband Development and Deployment Council announced the release of the 2010 Broadband Annual Report. The Annual Report highlights accomplishments of the Council to expand broadband and improve access to affordable, high speed broadband in New York State. New York State had several accomplishments to help advance broadband capabilities for New Yorkers.

The following are some accomplishments from the Annual Report:

• New York State public and private organizations received approximately $160 million in federal broadband grants. It is estimated that for every $1 million granted for broadband development, 50 jobs would be created. New York stands to gain approximately 8,250 jobs.
• New York State was awarded a federal grant to strengthen its broadband activities. With $1.2 million, New York is able to establish and staff a broadband program office and will function as a portal to distribute and receive information about broadband, ensure that New York’s broadband interests are met at the federal level, and serve as the operational arm for the Broadband Development and Deployment Council.
• With a $2.5 million federal grant New York State is mapping broadband availability across the state to gain a clearer under- standing of where broadband is needed most. The New York State Office of Cyber Security is leading the state effort in close collaboration with the telecommunications industry’s leading providers to map the broadband landscape.
• New York State ranks in the top ten for speed among all states with 61% of the population reporting speeds higher than the FCC minimum broadband speed of 4 Mbps. With an average download speed of 7.5 Mbps, New York is one of the fastest in the nation, ranking 5th in speed in the nation. New York State will continue to advance average speeds to remain competitive in a global market.