Yates County expects to take delivery this week of the fiber it needs for the next phase of the county’s high-speed internet project.
Yates County Administrator Nonie Flynn says the county will also send out requests for bids for the rest of the rollout.
Lucky break leads to faster fiber availability for the Yates County broadband project
It typically takes six months or more from ordering fiber to having it delivered, but the county caught a break when the supplier had a cancellation by another customer. The $14 million project is funded in part by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service. Yates County became one of the first in the country to receive one of the grants in March 2020. The county came up with $3.5 million in matching funds. Yates County ReConnect is expected to provide broadband service to 1,635 underserved premises in the county. The county has signed a multi-year agreement with Empire Access to be the service provider.
Will my home or business be eligible?
Homes and businesses that meet the USDA’s criteria for being in an underserved area will get the broadband service. Construction is expected to begin this fall. Flynn says the county should find out shortly if it was successful with its most recent grant application for the project.
Listen to my full Inside the FLX conversation with Yates County Administrator Nonie Flynn below.
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