Expand affordable municipal broadband in Upstate New York

Access to affordable, reliable broadband may have once been viewed as a luxury, but there is no question that it has now become an integral part of our daily lives. Similar to how we view electricity and other utilities, internet access is essential in the 21st-century—critical for everything from remote work and job searching, to education and socializing. Yet the digital divide still persists in far too many communities. The situation is particularly dire in many rural and low-income areas of New York that have either no broadband options or just one provider who operates with a de facto monopoly. Realizing universal broadband access in New York requires an aggressive expansion of municipal broadband, coupled with efforts to make it easier for municipalities to build out new networks. I recently introduced a bill that would streamline the process for municipalities to approve new projects, moving up their timelines and bringing access to those still in need. 

[Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, represents the 56th District in the New York State Senate.]