As the past year has shown, reliable access to broadband internet is no longer a luxury. Covid-19 forced many aspects of our daily lives online; virtual learning, working from home, online shopping, telemedicine, and simply staying connected with those we care about. It has also shown how prevalent the digital divide is in parts of Central New York.
To help address this issue, the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) has partnered with Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties to complete a study that will identify areas within each County that lack access to reliable broadband internet. Assisting with this study is ECC Technologies, a private consulting firm based in Rochester, NY that has a successful history of working with counties and municipalities across Upstate New York to identify and solve broadband internet access issues.
As part of this study, ECC Technologies has created a website and survey material that will allow us to collect data about broadband access in the region, called the Broadband Availability and Adoption Toolset (BAAT). The BAAT survey is being used to reach residents and businesses to learn about their current internet access issues, service reliability, and the affordability of their internet access options.
A website with the community survey launched on Friday April 30th and will run through July 31st. The survey is accessible on any device with internet connection.
The confidential information collected from this survey will be used to identify areas in the County most in need of improved internet access service. The information will also provide the basis for developing a plan to improve broadband internet access in Oswego County and across Central New York. The plan will be completed by October 2021.
Please feel free to contact the CNY RPDB at (315) 412-5966 for assistance in filling out the survey over the phone or to request a survey be mailed directly to your home or business.
Thank you for being an important part of this initiative. Your assistance in helping to facilitate community engagement in the survey will provide the basis for improving broadband internet service in the Central New York. Please feel free to contact the CNY RPDB, if you have any questions about the survey and the broadband internet study.