Rochester reaches deal with Greenlight, hopes to leverage terms to bridge digital divide

An agreement between the city and Greenlight Networks should help the local company expand into the Rochester neighborhoods. But obstacles remain with securing easements and access to utility poles. And while the pact was touted as a means to close the digital divide, it is uncertain how and when low-income customers might benefit. Greenlight's initial projects, already in planning with customers signed up, will be in Park Avenue and Cobbs Hill neighborhoods this summer and fall. The company's high-speed fiber optic Internet network reaches about 11,000 city households today and expected to add another 1,200 by year end. The digital divide in Rochester is significant. A recent Rochester City School District survey found that 1,700 high school students, or 55% of all students surveyed, did not have internet access at home.