Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul Friday announced a new $1 billion public-private partnership to bring high-speed broadband Internet service with at least 100 megabytes per second of service by 2018.
Speaking at SUNY New Paltz, Hochul and other state officials also announced the state approved the merger of Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, which will bring improved service to the state.
Effective immediately, the state is issuing a request for proposals for companies to fill in the gaps for high-speed service around the state. “This is a game changer,” said Hochul.
“This is not a pipe dream. We are prepared now to take New York State to the next level and to be competitive with any state in the nation when it comes to keeping and attracting businesses; that’s what this is about, but not just about the business side. It is also about people’s lives,” she said.
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein high-speed broadband “is now the next century’s utility.”
Public Service Department Chairwoman Audrey Zibelman called the cable merger and statewide broadband plan “the dawning of a new age for New York.”
