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Adirondack North Country Association
 

 
    Alliance Guiding Principles

Blueprint Process

Blueprint Points:
1. Aquatic and Terrestrial Invasive Species

2. Acid Rain

3. Global Climate Change

4. Main Street Revitalization

5. Water, Sewer and Storm-water Infrastructure

6. Marketing and Entrepreneurial Development

7. High-Speed Telecommunications

8. Workforce/Community Housing

9. Transportation Infrastructure

10. Energy

11. Effective Governance and Policy Framework

12. Land Use Change

13. Property Taxes

14. Primary Healthcare Crisis

Appendix
Procedures and Schedule

Founding Sponsors

Alliance Core Team

July 2007 Forum Participant List

BLUEPRINT FOR THE BLUE LINE

THE COMMON GROUND ALLIANCE
FEBRUARY 2008

BLUEPRINT POINTS

7. HIGH-SPEED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
RATIONALE: The Adirondack Park is in a true, rural digital divide with very limited broadband access available at affordable rates within the Blue Line. Improved wireless and wired accessibility is needed along the roadways and in the villages and hamlets. The lack of adequate cell services throughout the Adirondack Park is a threat to the millions of annual visitors and residents often making it impossible to request or coordinate emergency services. The lack of advanced telecommunications services adversely affects the ability to attract businesses to the region. Tourism facilities lack broadband and cellular connections, which adversely impacts the region’s ability to be competitive in a tourism market where travelers expect high-end amenities such as wireless services and consistent cellular coverage.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
  • Develop a plan for cellular and broadband capacity throughout the Adirondack Park.
  • Inventory locations for the co-location of towers in communities throughout the Adirondack Park.
  • Inventory in-Park fiber-optic cable owned by current providers.
  • Secure federal and state investment in broadband infrastructure in the Adirondack Park.
  • Encourage “digital literacy” by providing support services to educate our municipalities, non-profits, businesses and residents on how to make the highest and best use of better broadband.
  • Support current discussions between telecom providers and New York State leaders on the potential for the placement of temporary cell towers in the “dead zone” locations along the Adirondack Northway. Expand discussions to include all Park roadways.
REMAINING ISSUES:
  • Discuss the question of opening State lands for cell towers placement on State forest preserve lands.
  • Explore an incentive program to encourage and enable the private telecom providers to work with municipalities and businesses to expand cell service and broadband throughout the Park.
  • Explore Park-wide use of the Community Broadband Network (CBN). CBN is a model initiative in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties of a wholesale “carrier’s carrier,” which will provide wholesale transport services to service providers, making it possible for most rural and underserved areas of the Park to have a choice of providers servicing many users.

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