More than 3,500 locations in Chautauqua County will benefit from funding through the latest round of New York State ConnectALL Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program awards. According to the Chautauqua County IDA, three Internet service providers (ISPs) -- Spectrum Northeast, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Fidium Enterprise Services -- will receive approximately $23 million combined to bring high-speed broadband to 3,517 locations throughout the county. The CCIDA says there is no specific community that will be targeted through these funds; instead, the affected locations are found in various rural areas.
County Executive P.J. Wendel says the recent grant awards are the result of years of groundwork by the CCIDA and County Department of Planning & Development. CCIDA CEO Mark Geise added, "Over the coming months, the awarded providers will begin detailed engineering, permitting, and construction planning. Simultaneously, county and state officials will work closely with providers to support project timelines, coordinate on local infrastructure needs, and ensure clear communication with the public. Special recognition needs to be made to Rebecca Wurster, County Planning Coordinator, as well as ECC Technologies, for their gallant efforts in bringing this to fruition."
Chautauqua County anticipates that the BEAD projects will launch this year, and it is estimated that these projects will take approximately three to five years to complete. Additional information on ConnectALL's Broadband Deployment Plans can be found here.
