Oneida County seeks broadband service proposals

UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County is seeking requests for proposals from internet-service providers to expand broadband service to more than 50 underserved areas around the county.

“For the past 18 months, Oneida County has been working diligently to assess our broadband needs and identify the areas that have been underserved,” Anthony J. Picente, Jr., county executive, said in a release. “We are now ready to partner with internet service providers to deliver broadband to more residents and businesses so that everyone has an equal chance to succeed.”

Oneida County created a $2 million capital account utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to provide broadband in underserved areas of the county. It finalized an inventory of broadband assets in 2018, including information regarding vertical assets, public and emergency facilities, commercial and industrial growth areas, downtown districts, and other data used to develop a feasibility study.

The county partnered with the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District to conduct a survey in 2021 to test internet speeds and assess broadband needs of residents and businesses. It then used the survey, in part, to develop a map of 52 underserved areas of the county, each containing 25 or more homes lacking broadband service.

Oneida County now seeks to partner with one or more internet-service providers to build out those underserved areas. It’s asking for a fiber-to-the-home solution to maximize the life of its investment as the county will financially support the providers with grant funding and other support needed to make the projects financially feasible. This will include seeking municipal partners to add to the total available funding.

The full request for proposals is available online at https://ocgov.net/assets/Planning/RFP-for-Broadband-Partner_FINAL_2023.pdf.

Proposals must be submitted no later than 3 p.m. on March 15.