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FCC Approves Waiver to Allow N.Y. North Country ISP to Operate Under Rural Designation

With the new waiver, Westelcom will be able to operate uninterrupted as a rural provider until 2020.

(TNS) — Westelcom will continue to operate as a rural telecommunications provider following a push from federal lawmakers to reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s urban designation for the Watertown area.

U.S. Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, as well as U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, had called on the FCC to reverse its “urbanized” area classification for Watertown. The classification was instituted after the U.S. Census Bureau included Fort Drum as being within the township of Watertown. Even with the Census Bureau’s designation, Fort Drum is unable to use Westelcom’s services, per Army policy.

Westelcom is one of the north country’s largest internet providers through fiber-based broadband, and its services are used particularly for health care facilities and telemedicine networks. Without the rural designation, Westelcom would have lost nearly 96 percent of its anticipated revenue.

“Without immediate federal action to approve this critical waiver, Westelcom would have lost the federal support it counts on each year to help provide reliable broadband services to north country communities,” Sen. Schumer said in a release.

With the new waiver, Westelcom will be able to operate uninterrupted as a rural provider until 2020. Having the three-year buffer will allow Westelcom to phase out its use of rural rates as well as ensure it still receives the same funding as its competitors.

The three lawmakers have been pushing for the waiver since last year.

“In Watertown, access to broadband internet is critical to supporting our local economy and jobs, and is particularly important because so many medical facilities rely on a telemedicine network to support their patients,” Sen. Gillibrand said.

Ms. Stefanik said: “Increasing access to rural broadband is a top economic priority for our district, and I am pleased my office was able to assist with this waiver. Westelcom is a leading provider of communications services in our area, and this waiver will allow Westelcom to continue to operate without impact on its ability to maintain and expand its broadband network.”

Westelcom operates in six counties in the north country, servicing communities such as Watertown, Malone, Clayton, Elizabethtown, Ticonderoga and Plattsburgh.

Late last year, Sen. Gillibrand visited the Westelcom facility in Watertown to discuss legislation, Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act, that would help companies like Westelcom combine grants and loans to finance large-scale projects extending high-speed internet service to residents of less-populated regions.

©2017 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.