Caroline Broadband
Purpose
To establish a municipal broadband utility for the residents of Caroline so that all residents and businesses will have high-quality internet at an affordable cost
Lack of access to the internet can create a digital divide in rural communities affecting education, healthcare, emergency services, home values and the local economy.
Like other communities in rural Central New York State, Caroline struggles with access to broadband in less populated areas. The internet service that is available in these areas is expensive and limited in bandwidth. Where there is population density in Slaterville Springs area, the Town, Caroline struggles with a non-competitive environment that primarily offers service on cable television infrastructure, limiting the overall performance and reliability of the network. The current service provider landscape does have some fiber infrastructure which is positive; however, the service areas are limited and motivation for expansion into rural Towns like Caroline is relatively low without motivating factors.
This project explores the path the Town could pursue to accomplish our goal of equal state-of-the-art broadband for all its residents.
The Town of Caroline is proud to be partnering with the Town of Dryden to provide a municipal internet service option for our residents that will ensure affordable, high-quality broadband. This 8.9M New York State ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Project (MIP) award is being funded by the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The MIP project is to reach all under- and un-served residences in Caroline within the next 30 months. Please go to Dryden Fiber (https://www.drydenfiber.com/) for information and updates about this initiative.
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