Broadband Gaps Linger in New York State’s Small Towns

New state data shows 2.5 percent of New York households lack the ability to hook up to the Internet. More than 132,000 households lack the ability to access broadband in New York. The town of Red House in Cattaraugus County is completely unserved. Twenty-nine towns, six school districts and four of the 10 tribal territories in the state have less than half of their residences with access to broadband. Internet providers warn that government broadband grants may not be able to cover the costs of building the services in locations where there may be fewer than five homes per square mile. They also are tracking state legislation, which is currently the subject of litigation, that could require the providers to offer their services at very low prices without an offsetting government subsidy. But many communities continue waiting for broadband providers to decide whether they want to serve their areas.