Federal officials hope $14 million in funding will help expand broadband access in St. Lawrence County and other areas of the North Country.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced Friday, June 16 that the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) will receive a $14,547,750 investment to significantly expand broadband access in the region.

The investment is being funneled through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program.

The funding, the senators claim, will expand nearly 350 miles of broadband fibers across Upstate NY, particularly in the North Country, to increase high-speed internet access for thousands of families, and help close the digital divide for hundreds of vital community anchors from hospitals to schools.

“The Development Authority of the North Country is excited to learn that our project to expand critical broadband infrastructure across rural areas of northern New York has been funded,” said Carl E. Farone Jr., DANC executive director. “The 344 miles of new middle mile fiber optic cable will enable broadband service to approximately 2,500 unserved residences and 287 community anchor institutions. Without the partnership with National Grid and funding from NTIA, this project would not be possible. I would like to thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their support in securing this critical grant funding for northern New York.”

With this multi-million dollar federal grant, DANC and the National Grid will partner to build new fiber optic infrastructure, enabling Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to connect currently unserved and underserved Upstate New York communities with access to high-speed internet.

The $14 million grant will help construct over 340 miles of middle mile fiber across 12 northern New York counties: Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Hamilton, Essex, Herkimer, Oswego, Oneida, Onondaga, Fulton, and Montgomery.

Specifically, the grant is expected to help expand access to an estimated nearly 2,500 unserved residences and 280+ community anchor institutions, such as fire stations, libraries, and health care providers across Upstate NY, according to a press release from the senators.

DANC will design, construct, own, and operate an expected 275 miles of new fiber and associated electronics.

Northland, a private Internet Service Provider (ISP), will design, construct, own, and operate an expected 60 miles of fiber in Fulton, Herkimer and Montgomery counties.

Sixty percent of the proposed project costs will be funded through the NTIA grant, and 40% will be funded by National Grid.