Schumer, Clinton Announce Key Senate Panel Approves $200,000 For Broadband Project In St. Lawrence County
Federal Funding Expand Broadband Access And Bring High-Speed Wireless Service To Underserved Rural Areas
Senators Worked Closely With Committee To Include Funding In Spending Bill
Bill will now be sent to the Senate Floor
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that the full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (TTHUD) FY08 Appropriations Bill, which includes $200,000 for the St. Lawrence County Regional Rural Broadband Expansion project. The bill will now proceed to the Senate Floor as the next step in the appropriations process. Schumer and Clinton worked closely with members of the Appropriations Committee to include funding for the project in this year's spending bill.
"This is great news for St. Lawrence County," Schumer said. "Wireless, highspeed internet is the wave of the future that will connect the North Country to the 21 st century economy. Wireless networks will enable entrepreneurship to flourish and will attract new types of cuttingedge, hightech business to the region. Just like the interstate highway system, it is essential that the federal government invest in high speed, universal internet access throughout the country," said Senator Schumer.
"This is welcome news for St. Lawrence County," said Senator Clinton. "Expanding broadband access and bringing high speed wireless service to underserved rural areas just makes economic sense. It is essential that the playing field be leveled for rural and regional areas looking to gain the same technological advantage as others in our big cities and I am pleased that the Committee has approved this funding so we can help the region get connected."
The St. Lawrence County Regional Rural Broadband Expansion will use federal funds for a demonstration of a scalable rural broadband solution involving private and public entities. This program, under the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Inc., will utilize existing electrical distribution poles as wireless equipment mounting sites to accomplish a wireless carrier network. This proposal will serve three primary communities including Ogdensburg, Heuvelton, and Canton with private contributions totaling nearly $1.3 million.
Now that the bill has been approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee, it will be sent to the Senate floor. Following approval by the Senate, the bill will move towards Conference with the House and then to the President for signature.
