GENESEO, N.Y., June 25, 2024 — Livingston County has been awarded $26.5 million through Empire State Development's ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program (MIP) grant to provide an open access fiber network which will connect more than 4,000 County addresses with access to high-speed internet. This announcement marks an important step toward realizing the goal of providing high-speed fiber optic internet to every address in the County. Light Up Livingston is the County’s broadband program championed by the Livingston County Board of Supervisors and identified as the number one infrastructure priority in their strategic planning efforts of the last few years.
“This is a transformative investment in our region, along with a necessity for modern life and economic growth," said Livingston County Board of Supervisors Chairman David LeFeber. "Light Up Livingston will unlock new opportunities for our residents, businesses, farms, and communities, enabling them to thrive in the digital age. This initiative not only positions our County for future prosperity, but also promises quality of life improvements that will benefit generations to come.”
Livingston County will use the MIP funds to construct approximately 340 miles of fiber throughout all 17 towns and nine villages in the County. Livingston County will own the open access infrastructure and contract with local internet service providers through public- private partnerships to provide quality and affordable internet service.
"Access to reliable, high-speed internet is essential infrastructure for the 21st century workforce and economy," said Livingston County Administrator Ian M. Coyle. "It’s really exciting to begin this next phase of the project to ensure no home or business is left behind and to help close the digital divide in our region."
In 2021, Empire Access, a local internet service provider (ISP), and Livingston County were awarded funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect grant program. This phase of Light Up Livingston is expected to be completed by December 2027. The MIP funding will allow the County to build on its existing public-private partnership with Empire Access.
“We are proud to be partnering with Livingston County on the Municipal Infrastructure Program,” said Empire Access CEO Kevin Dickens. “Empire Access is committed to uniting people through fiber-optic solutions and will be champions for your residential and business communities.”
Through the grant award, Livingston County will contract with Hunt EAS and other engineering partners to design, permit, build and install fiber infrastructure connecting the remaining unserved or underserved County addresses.
“Livingston County is an exceptional example of how local government can make a real difference in its resident’s lives,” said Hunt EAS Director of Broadband Services Ryan Garrison. “The County’s holistic approach to bringing quality internet to those who lacked an acceptable level of service started with USDA funding and has continued with the pursuit of other state and federal grants. This persistence has paid off with the awarded funding from the Municipal Infrastructure Program which will allow Livingston County to finish the work that was started five years ago, bringing fiber optic internet to the most rural and unserved residents of the County.”
This fiber infrastructure will be "open-access", meaning it can be used by multiple ISPs to deliver internet service over the County's fiber lines, rather than being closed off for use by only one company. This model will promote competition and choice for residents, allowing multiple ISPs to offer service over the same public fiber infrastructure. The completed infrastructure will connect to Southern Tier Network and enable a connection with existing fiber lines along the New York State Thruway to help provide future proof network technology, resilience and sustainability.
New York State received $228.2 million in federal funding earlier this year to launch the ConnectALL MIP, which will connect tens of thousands of homes statewide to high-speed internet. To date, the County has received more than $11 million in federal funding to support Light Up Livingston’s goal of closing the region’s digital divide and making internet access available to all.
Residents looking to see the status of their own address regarding the initiative can visit the Light Up Livingston geographic information system (GIS) portal. The GIS portal lets users view broadband funding status for areas throughout the County. County residents can enter their address information and see if their location is part of a grant project for which Livingston County has received funding.
For more information on Light Up Livingston, please call 585-243-7550 or visit the Light Up Livingston homepage. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, events and more by following Livingston County on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Livingston County:
Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is home to more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.