Cortland Standard: $9M grant fuels Dryden Fiber expansion plans
Posted Wednesday, July 3, 2024 12:00 am
By DOUG SCHNEIDER
Now that the town of Dryden has been awarded a $9 million grant by the state of New York, town residents — and those of the town of Caroline — may want some answers on when they can get high-speed internet service.
Town officials have been transparent with divulging schedules, whether in response to questions, or on a website — www.DrydenFiber.com — they’ve established for the project. Here, via interviews with Executive Director David Makar, Town Board members and members of the town’s Broadband Technical Advisory Committee, are highlights of what they’ve said.
A number of commercial providers can provide a high-speed internet connection, at a price that enables companies to make a profit. Because Dryden Fiber is municipally owned, internet service tends to cost less. The basic service — 400 mbps uploaded and downloaded — costs Dryden customers $45 a month.
“People told us that if we could have high-speed internet and it was affordable, 97% said they would buy it,” said Makar, who was named executive director of Dryden Fiber after the survey was taken.
If you live in the area in green — including the village of Freeville — on the DrydenFiber.com map, you can call the town, order Dryden Fiber and have it within two weeks. If you’re in the area shaded yellow — including some of the village of Dryden — you’ll have service in three to six months.
Network “infrastructure” is still being installed — wires are still being run along the telephone wires in the village of Dryden, for example.
“I believe it will be available in Caroline,” Makar said, starting “in 12 months.”
Makar couldn’t say exactly when, but said the plan remains to reduce the cost for monthly service once wiring and other preparations have been completed.
“We (expect to) add service to about 500 more parcels in the town in July … (longer term) The entire (amount) will have to be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.”
“People have been asking us how many years (it’ll take before high-speed internet will be available), 10 years, 15 years? Twenty-five? It’s a big step forward for us to have this deadline.” Makar said. “I’d much rather have a project due on (a specific) date. It could be a 30-month sprint, but we’re going to treat it like a marathon.”
Learn more about the latest plans for Dryden Fiber in an interview with David Makar on the “Cortland Report” podcast. It airs by July 14 at cortlandstandard.com.