ALBANY -- Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Thursday announced his plan to provide broadband Internet service to even the most remote areas of the state.
Affordable high-speed Internet service plan was part of what Spitzer said will be a transformation and expansion of New York's economy.
"It is as critical to the next century economy as the Erie Canal was the last," Spitzer said. "It is how information flows and we are living in an economy where information is the commodity that matters and it is necessary that everyone is wired."
He said the effort will take several years and evolve into an effort to provide wireless service statewide.
"We're behind internationally, that's what troubles me most," Spitzer said. "When the average kid in South Korea has better access to broadband than the average kid in New York state, something is wrong."
The effort comes after legislative proposals have languished.
"We welcome the governor's involvement," said Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Westchester Democrat who has sought accessible broadband service for years.
"The key here is affordability in low-income neighborhoods that are already wired," Brodsky said. "The Assembly has a plan to do that, to deal with that problem. We'd love to sit down and negotiate with the governor, but I don't see anything in the governor's proposal about a legislative role."
"As we build an innovation economy we must make New York the most connected and technologically advanced place to live and do business in the world," Spitzer said. "Internet access is no longer a luxury."
A state Council for Universal Broadband will distribute $5 million in grants to research, design and provide broadband Internet that Spitzer said will lead to jobs and economic development. The plan is aimed at providing a tool to help the long stagnant economy in upstate counties.
The initiative includes a plan to help show New Yorkers learn how to get the most out of broadband service including job searches, school and college work, and establishing home businesses. More than 350 state government services and transactions are available on the Internet.
The broadband council includes top information technology officials in state government as well as representatives from local governments and experts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and Alain Kaloyeros, a nonotechnology expert from the state University at Albany.
Local representative
Howard Lowe, director of the Technical Assistance Center at Plattsburgh State, is a member of the new council.
"I look forward to hear when the first meetings will be scheduled," he said Thursday. "I'm anxious to get to work with the council."
The Technical Assistance Center and the Research Foundation of SUNY are coordinating construction of CBN Connect, a nearly 500-mile fiber-optic and wireless network that would serve Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. A needs analysis and conceptual design was unveiled in October.
The next step is to produce a technical design, expected to be finished next year. Construction could start soon after that.
Local News
Related Photos
-
P-R File Photo
Discussion
ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.
Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.
Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.
We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.
Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:
There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.
Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.
Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.
Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)
Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”
Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.
Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.
Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.
In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.
Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.
We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
Spitzer pushes high-speed Internet statewide
- Local News
-
-
Ticonderoga faces severe school cuts
The district is starting its new budget process almost $2 million in the hole. Officials are seeking public input on the problem.
-
One injured in Plattsburgh house fire
A female suffered second- and third-degree burns in a fire at her South Catherine Street home early Sunday.
-
Plattsburgh's Sweet Adelines sing music of the heart
Sweet Adelines spread message of love on Valentine's Day with yearly singing valentines.
-
Love between the lines
Dr. Nell Irvin Painter of New Russia and Plattsburgh State's Dr. J.W. Wiley share historical and current viewpoints on interracial loving, American-style.
-
NCCS wins CVAC cheerleading competition
NCCS wins first place for the eighth time in nine years
-
Tentative contract reached with officers
The deal with New York state would cover the 2,800 members of the New York State Correction Officers and Police Benevolent Association who typically work at specialized state centers such as the Sunmount Development Disabilities Services Office in Tupper Lake.
-
Lookback: Feb. 13-19
News stories from around the region from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago this week.
-
Of Interest: Feb. 13, 2012
Peru Central School Board to hold budget discussion; Dannemora to discuss highway post; Beekmantown School Board invites budget input; Willsboro School Board to discuss policies; Chazy School Board to discuss budget; SLCS Board to appoint clerk pro-tem; Keeseville Zoning Board cancels meeting; Elizabethtown-Lewis School Board to work on budget.
-
Gourds' shapes create interesting canvas
Georgette Bacon's gourd art is on display through March 10 at Foothills ARTSociety in Malone.
- February 12, 2012
-
NCCS wins CVAC cheerleading competition
NCCS wins first place for the eighth time in nine years
-
One injured in Plattsburgh house fire
A female suffered second- and third-degree burns in a fire at her South Catherine Street home early Sunday.
-
Plattsburgh's Sweet Adelines sing music of the heart
Sweet Adelines spread message of love on Valentine's Day with yearly singing valentines.
-
Ticonderoga faces severe school cuts
The district is starting its new budget process almost $2 million in the hole. Officials are seeking public input on the problem.
-
Tentative contract reached with officers
The deal with New York state would cover the 2,800 members of the New York State Correction Officers and Police Benevolent Association who typically work at specialized state centers such as the Sunmount Development Disabilities Services Office in Tupper Lake.
-
Attempted-murder trial set
The case against Robert J. McCann, who is charged with trying to kill his former girlfriend at a secluded Westville site, begins Tuesday in Franklin County Court.
-
A historic battle for interracial marriage
Forty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all remaining state bans on interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia.
-
Fireworks to close weekend carnival
The final day of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is filled with activities and events. INCLUDES VIDEO
-
Arts and economic development discussed
A success story about a theater in Glens Falls underscored the importance of the arts at a presentation put on by Partnership for Community Development in Plattsburgh.
-
Ticonderoga faces severe school cuts
- Recent Article Comments
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
