Last week, the Wayne County (NY) Board of Supervisors approved a resolution seeking a Request for Proposals (RFPs) to identify a broadband expansion partner. That’s because there is either no service for some areas of the county, affecting 3,400 households, or poor broadband connections, reported the Finger Lakes Times.
The RFP asks broadband providers to outline their qualifications, technology solutions, and cost estimates for consideration. “This is all about closing that gap,” said Brian Pincelli, Wayne County’s economic development director.
He added the county has no plans to build its own fiber network. The goal is to partner with a private company to bring internet to areas in need while making it financially feasible to run cable in more sparsely populated regions where extending broadband is cost-prohibitive.
The Times reported the county is poised to make a significant investment in broadband expansion efforts. Pincelli noted that funds could come from COVID relief legislation, from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and President Joe Biden’s pending infrastructure bill.
“I think we’re hopeful within two years we will be near completion of the project,” he said.
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