More cable for Sullivan

Reaching unserved areas in the county

By Manor Ink Staff

Sullivan County, NY – A new broadband provider is coming to Sullivan County this year as Archtop Fiber commences the construction of a fiber-optic network. The company, headquartered in Kingston, is partnering with the county to offer service, wired or wireless broadband, to over 22,000 principally unserved homes and businesses in the county.

The company has begun to build out its facilities in a number of areas, but one of its first priorities, according to Dan Hust, director of communications for the county, is bringing a connection to the county’s emergency communications tower in Tennanah Lake in order to offer wireless service to Roscoe and the upper Fremont regions. Work is also ongoing in Liberty, Neversink, Fallsburg and Mamakating.

This partnership is supported by a $30 million grant from the State of New York’s ConnectALL program. The county’s 11 towers will be used to provide wireless services by Archtop, and 253 miles of fiber are to be installed to reach currently unserved areas. Under a unique arrangement, the county will own the infrastructure, and Archtop will be the service provider making lease payments to the county. According to County Manager Josh Potosek, “This project promises to transform much of the county, particularly the underserved and unserved areas that have struggled with high-speed Internet access.”

The county’s agreement with Archtop stipulates that the company will pay the county 15 percent of its monthly net revenues, with a minimum annual payment of $300,000 (with an annual CPI increase). After 10 years, Archtop may purchase the network for $1, but the 15-percent revenue share to the county will continue. Archtop will bear any costs of construction in excess of the state’s grant.

A website where the public can check for the availability of service is to be launched soon.