WITH FCC MAP DEADLINE THAT DETERMINES INFRASTRUCTURE LAW $$$ AMOUNTS FAST APPROACHING, SCHUMER LAUNCHES ALL OUT PUSH TO ENSURE UPSTATE NY GETS THE FED FUNDING IT DESERVES FOR 1,500+ TOMPKINS AND 25,000+ SOUTHERN TIER HOUSEHOLDS THAT LACK HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS

Schumer-Negotiated Infrastructure Law Included Billions To Bring Fast & Affordable High-Speed Internet To Underserved Communities In Rural & Urban Parts Across Upstate NY – And Deadline For The Maps Which Determine That Funding Is This Week- January 13^th

Schumer: Over 1,500+ Tompkins County Households Lack Sufficient Broadband Access And More Than 25,000 Across The Southern Tier; Everyone Must Be Accurately Represented In Fed Maps So NY Gets Its Fair Share Of The Funding

Schumer: It Is Time To Close The Digital Divide In Tompkins County And The Southern Tier

After delivering a record $65 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act to bolster broadband infrastructure and expand access to high-speed internet, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer launched an all-out push to ensure Tompkins County, Southern Tier and Upstate New York households are fully and accurately represented on the national broadband map. Schumer explained that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) map, which will be used to determine New York’s share of the federal funding, is due at the end of this week. New York State and local governments have been working non-stop to ensure the map is as accurate as possible. Schumer said, however, it is imperative all households, especially the 1,500+ in Tompkins County and 25,000+ across the Southern Tier that are estimated to lack access to high-speed internet, check the accuracy of the information reported and help ensure New York’s unserved communities receives the funding they desperately need to close the digital divide.

“Billions of federal dollars that I secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will flow to communities of all sizes in Upstate New York and across America to address broadband needs, but if we want to ensure New York and places like the Southern Tier and Tompkins County get their fair share of the pot we need to make sure our map is as accurate as possible. That is why I am here to make sure every resident in Tompkins County and across the Southern Tier is accurately represented on the FCC map which will determine federal funding,” said Senator Schumer. “New York and our local partners have done a great job, but we need all hands on deck and the FCC to make sure every voice is heard. Access to reliable, fast internet service is essential to Upstate New York’s economy, education, healthcare and so much more. It is time to close the digital divide!”

“The Southern Tier is deeply appreciative of Senator Schumer’s leadership in securing billions for broadband in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and his continued support of our most rural residents. As the regional planning boards and county planning departments work with New York State’s ConnectALL Office to address map errors, I encourage every homeowner to check the map to verify service, speed and cost,” said Jen Gregory, Executive Director of the Southern Tier 8 Regional Board. “For residents that don’t have service, I encourage them to go to their local library and visit https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home. This is a unique opportunity for residents of the Southern Tier to help secure federal funding needed to deploy high-speed internet to households across the state!”

“Access to quality, reliable internet service throughout our rural communities is one of the key barriers upstate New York businesses, schools, and residents face on a daily basis,” said Jennifer Tavares, President of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. “I appreciate Senator Schumer working to bring awareness to this issue and fighting to attract funding for this critical infrastructure – and I encourage area residents to participate in opportunities for feedback about their current internet access.”

“Access to affordable, reliable and high-speed internet service is critical for our region’s economy, education and health. We know that there are still areas of our county where internet service is non-existent or inadequate,” said Katie Borgella, Commissioner of Planning and Sustainability for Tompkins County. “It is important for this region to obtain as much federal funding as possible to allow us to close those gaps and provide our residents with a strong foundation to compete in today’s economy.”

Schumer said that he is pushing for as many households and businesses across Upstate New York to participate because additional address-level data will help improve the accuracy of the national broadband map and better inform public investments to expand high-speed internet infrastructure statewide. Schumer is actively working with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to ensure these funds are able to start flowing as quickly as possible and that Upstate New York has full access to the many funding streams Schumer helped create in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Moreover, last month, when local partners encountered bureaucratic delays, Schumer sent a letter urging the FCC to swiftly release the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric. Schumer underscored that given the fast-approaching challenge submission deadline, any delay acquiring the fabric would inhibit the ability of local partners to dispute inaccuracies and support federal efforts to identify unserved areas most in need of investment.  

Specifically, the senator said that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law $65 billion to connect the unserved, make high-speed internet affordable and provide resources for digital literacy.  This summer, the Department of Commerce will announce broadband funding allocations from the bipartisan infrastructure law using the most up-to-date version of the FCC’s national broadband map.

Schumer explained that broadband accessibility is a persistent and prevalent challenge across Upstate New York. According to the 2022 Report on the Availability, Reliability and Cost of High-Speed Broadband Services in New York State, in the Southern Tier, there are six counties with more than 5%, and three counties with more than 10%, of addresses without access to high-speed internet. The Town of Dryden’s broadband infrastructure project, “Dryden Fiber,” is illustrative of a local effort to bridge the digital divide and was jumpstarted by the American Rescue Plan, which Schumer led to passage as one of his first major acts as majority leader, after the town approved $1.25 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to launch the initiative.

Schumer broke down the number of unserved addresses, county by county:

Schumer added, “When it comes to the FCC internet access maps that will determine grant awards for better high-speed broadband, you got to be in it to win it.”

Schumer explained that in order to check your status on the FCC map this week you should visit: broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home. Challenges indicating that information is inaccurate must be submitted before January 13^th.

Once on the website you should take the following steps: 

1.     Using the search bar, type in the address you want to view information about. The map should automatically zoom to your location.

2.     After finding your location, a side-panel on the right-hand side of the screen will populate with location and service data and information.

3.     If information appears to be inaccurate, you can submit a location or availability challenge.

You can find video instructions on how to file a challenge here: How to Submit an Availability Challenge.

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