$3.5 MILLION BROADBAND GRANT MAY BRING LITTLE LOCAL BENEFIT

Steven Shepperd
ccSCOOP News

09-08-10 - There does not seem to be a definitive answer as to how much - or how little - the recently-awarded 3.5 million dollar broadband grant will affect broadband Internet access expansion in Columbia County.

On August 4th, the Office of Congressman Scott Murphy (D-20) issued a press release that announced the award of a 3.5 million-dollar grant to Mid-Hudson Cablevision for "rural broadband infrastructure projects." Mid-Hudson Cablevision, a local company, currently provides broadband Internet services to Hudson, along with surrounding communities.

Awarded under the auspices of the USDA, the broadband grant allows Mid-Hudson Cablevision to "expand (broadband) coverage in Columbia and Greene Counties." Along with the 8 Greene County towns mentioned, the grant award specifies the Towns of Taghkanic, Copake, Claverack, Ghent, Chatham, Hillsdale and Austerlitz in Columbia County as potentially benefiting from Mid Hudson Cablevision's planned expansion.

According to the wording of Congressman Murphy's press release, "the broadband expansion project stands to benefit over 20,000 people. In addition, over 3,000 businesses and 100 community institutions also stand to benefit (from this project)". Unfortunately, the wording of the press release does not specify just how the money will be allocated, and thus how many (or few) will see tangible broadband improvements in Columbia County.

In fact, the listing of Ghent, Chatham and Austerlitz as broadband grant 'beneficiaries' raises additional questions, as those areas are currently receiving cable (TV) service from an incumbent provider, Charter Communications, Inc. Unlike telephone-based Internet service, where providers are obligated (under law) to grant access to competitors that wish to carry (Internet) service over the existing infrastructure (telephone lines), there is no such provision for cable service. In order for Mid-Hudson Cablevision to provide service to Chatham, Ghent or Austerlitz residents, the company would either have to enter into a partnership with Charter (to utilize their infrastructure), buy out their existing service agreements (with the towns involved), or purchase Charter's service region and infrastructure outright. Neither Mid-Hudson Cablevision nor Charter Communications would comment on their plans.

Also missing from the press release were any specifics as to the type of broadband infrastructure deployment proposed in this county. "Broadband infrastructure" can refer equally to the "backbone" fiber optic cable that would typically supply a community or area with broadband (but not supplying individual premises), or it could mean "last-mile" services to private home or businesses; typically over coaxial cable. Grant eligibility would equally be satisfied by development of so-called "middle-mile" projects, where broadband supply is brought into an underserved region, versus distributed "last-mile" to the residents.

Mid-Hudson Cablevision was also the recipient of a $5.3 million low-interest loan in 2006, which then-Congressman John Sweeney helped secure. Taghkanic was then the only listed Columbia County town whose broadband infrastructure stood to benefit from the federally-sponsored loan.

Additionally, no specifics were supplied with regard to a timetable of deployment within Columbia County, nor which communities will be targeted first.