The New York Department of Energy will work with Sherburne Electric, a NYPA municipal client, to use NYPA’s existing fiber network to connect to the middle mile when Sherburne designs and builds fiber networks for its 1,800 homes and businesses.
The project is part of Governor Katie Hochul The $ 1 billion ConnectALL initiative which aims to transform the state’s digital infrastructure and provide affordable broadband access to millions of residents and businesses. Under ConnectALL, the state is using more than $ 1 billion in public and private investment to connect New Yorkers in rural and urban areas of the state to broadband.
“Using the Power Authority’s network to connect more New Yorkers to broadband is a win-win strategy for the entire state that allows us to make the most of our equipment, share our technical expertise and strengthen customer relationships to benefit more residents. New York, especially those who live and work in some of the most remote areas of our large state, ”said Justin E. Driscoll, interim president and CEO of the New York Power Authority. to release.
In Arkansas, more than a dozen electrical cooperatives have teamed up to create a new wholesale broadband provider that will use its fiber-optic networks to accelerate the deployment of broadband across the state.
Diamond State Networks is committed to providing access to 1.25 million rural Arkansans with a combined network covering more than 64% of the state’s landmass and more than 50,000 miles of fiber lines, DSN officials said in a statement. ad. The network is formed by 13 Arkansas-owned cooperatives owned by members and their subsidiaries on the fiber network.
Together, the electric cooperators are investing more than $ 1.66 billion in mid-mile fiber-optic networks that will serve nearly 600,000 potential customers ’seats.
“By bringing these networks together, we are investing in building a mid-mile network for long-term, long-range accessibility and providing high-performance connectivity to every corner of our state,” said Mitchell Johnson, co-member of Diamond. Public networks. “Ultimately, it offers local ISPs better access and opportunities to provide their services, as well as better opportunities to directly service businesses with a reliable connection wherever they are. We are making coverage available in more areas with best-in-class technology to close gaps from past constraints. ”
In Florida, the Tri-County Electric Cooperative will work with broadband provider Conexon Connect on a $ 65 million project to deploy a 2,400-mile fiber-to-the-home home network over the next few years.
Conexon was one of the main bidders in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, and has partnered with electrical cooperatives in Georgia, Colorado, Louisiana and New Hampshire to build fiber broadband networks.
This was stated by Conexon partner Jonathan Chambers Hard Telecom that there are more than 5 million miles of electrical distribution lines in the U.S., and cooperatives own about half of that. “To really close the digital divide, not just wave your hand, you have to get to places that no one else will build. Without cooperatives, I think this will never happen. There is a chance to fight with cooperatives, ”he said.
