Towns are hosting the 27 Wi-Fi hotspots created through a $370,000 program with Spectrum.
Lewis County Legislator Lisa R. Virkler, R-Beaver Falls, gave a brief history of the project, explaining that the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the need to make broadband access possible for every resident in one form or another. The result was a committee that tried to get creative with solutions in order to make the limited funds available go as far as possible.
Reaching out to Spectrum about the possibility of a Wi-Fi access program where the company already provides service was the result.
Robert McCarthy, Spectrum's manager of vertical sales, commended Casandra K. Buell, director of the county planning department, for her work spearheading the complicated project.
"It's nice to see it coming to fruition. I have to thank Casandra. We could not have done it without her playing point for the county — (she was) just amazing keeping it together every time we went back to her, 'Oh, we just found this problem or this challenge'... there's always going to be something with a project of this magnitude," he said before addressing Mrs. Buell directly, "You were great and I just want to thank you."
The hotspots are located in high-traffic downtown areas, at municipal offices and libraries, in parks and recreational areas and mounted on come businesses in Diana, Croghan, New Bremen, Glenfield, Castorland, Martinsburg, Constableville, Turin, Lyons Falls, Constableville, Lowville and the town of Lewis.
Mark Meyerhofer, senior director of government affairs for Charter Spectrum, thanked the line workers who helped to build the hotspots and making the project possible.
A donation of 10 Chromebooks by the company was accepted by library director Eileen J. Mathys. She said the library board will decide how to use the computers to best benefit the community.
The project was paid for with part of the $1.5 million American Rescue Plan Act money the county earmarked for broadband access improvement. Installation and monthly charges for three years are covered.
"The hope is that the communities will see it's beneficial and will continue it after the three years," Mrs. Buell said at the halfway point of the hotspot installations at the end of last year.
Lewis County and Charter Spectrum are also working together and splitting the cost to extend the company's fiber-optic network to "offshoots" in Croghan, Denmark, Greig, Watson and Lowville.
For an interactive map of available hotspots, go to lewiscounty.org/broadband.
©2023 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
