Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) announced that the Assembly budget proposal includes funding to study broadband access in communities across New York State.

“Internet service is no longer a luxury – it’s an essential utility that nearly all New Yorkers use every day for school, work and day-to-day tasks,” Jones said. “Between mandatory shutdowns and travel restrictions, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated our dependency on technology in the home. I fought to include critical funding in our one-house budget proposal to continue expanding access and help fulfill the state’s longstanding promise of broadband for all.”

The Assembly proposal allocates $3 million for the state Department of Public Service to study broadband service access statewide and $900,000 for broadband and internet in state-operated facilities. Jones has sent multiple letters to the governor’s office on the lack of broadband access in rural communities, a concern that many of my constituents share. The pandemic has radically changed daily life, and New York must take full advantage of the technology we have and continue expanding access to keep the economy moving forward during these turbulent times, Jones noted.