TDS completes final high-speed Internet project in parts of St. Lawrence County
1,758 residences and businesses now have access to new, faster internet speeds
The final phase of a three-part TDS Telecom (TDS®) high-speed broadband expansion in the Edwards and Hermon area is now complete, six months ahead of schedule. An additional 420 residential and business addresses now have access to speeds up to 100Mbps, bringing the total number of addresses impacted by the projects to 1,758. All of the work was funded by TDS and the New NY Broadband Program.
“Access to high-speed Internet is truly a game changer for any community, but particularly for rural locations,” says Scott Brooks, state government affairs manager for TDS. “Fast Internet brings opportunity for education, work, and business and we’re delighted to be part of making that happen.”
To complete the final project TDS installed an additional 23 miles of fiber-optic cable in the Edwards Telephone Company footprint and added 12 Fiber Distribution Hub cabinets to house key network components. The state-of-the-art fiber infrastructure now delivers Internet speeds from 25Mbps to 100Mbps.
“We congratulate TDS Telecom on its expansion of high-speed Internet service in partnership with the Broadband Program Office,” said Jeffrey Nordhaus, Empire State Development Executive Vice President of Innovation and Broadband. “Broadband is a necessity for all communities in today’s economy and this launch will bring broadband to more than 400 locations in St. Lawrence County.”
TDS was awarded nine grants worth approximately $21.4 million statewide as part of the New NY Broadband Program and TDS is investing more than $13 million. Grant-supported projects in TDS’ Township Telephone Company and Deposit Telephone Company footprints are also now complete. TDS’ remaining grants will impact residents and businesses in the Port Byron Telephone Company footprint.
About the New NY Broadband Program
In 2015, New York State established the $500 million New NY Broadband Program, the largest and most ambitious State broadband investment in the nation. The Program provides New York State grant funding to support projects that deliver high-speed Internet access to Unserved and Underserved areas of the State, with priority given to Unserved areas, libraries and educational opportunity centers. The Broadband Program Office at Empire State Development, New York’s chief economic development agency, administers the program.
