Regional planners urge Cayuga County to commit $7 million to deploy $26.1 million broadband award

Regional planning officials told the Cayuga County Legislature on May 20 that a $26,100,000 state award for a broadband fiber build covering rural parts of Cayuga and Cortland counties requires immediate county financial backing if the project is to meet federal and state deadlines.

The update came from the regional planning board’s presenter, Mr. Bogart, who said the money — drawn from federal pandemic-era capital funds administered through the U.S. Treasury and allocated by New York State — will pay to build a roughly 275-mile fiber backbone serving largely rural roads. Bogart said the state and federal schedules mean work must start this summer and that the regional planning board needs both counties to make an interim construction loan available now.

The county’s $7 million commitment would be provided as a short-term financing instrument so the regional board can pay up-front costs such as pole-permit fees and early material purchase orders. "We can't wait any longer," Bogart told legislators, describing a sequence of permit filings, utility make-ready work and construction that could stretch into late 2026 and early 2027 if the cash flow is not in place.

Why it matters

The award is part of a federal capital fund program intended to close gaps in unserved and underserved areas. The regional plan would create a main fiber “highway” that internet service providers could tap to bring service to local roads; planners said the backbone is unlikely to be built by private providers alone because of the low customer density in many rural areas.

Key details and timeline

- Grant/program: US Treasury Capital Fund (ARPA-era), with the state receiving an initial disbursement and allocating $26.1 million for the Cayuga/Cortland build. The state is coordinating with the…