Broadband May Come To Newton Falls Soon

NEWTON FALLS - Residents of the hamlet by summer's end could have high-speed Internet access.

St. Lawrence County last year was approved for a $60,000 grant from the state Universal Broadband Project to extend the Development Authority of the North Country's fiber-optics line to the hamlet. A delay in receiving the funding held up the project, said Legislature Information Technology Committee Chairwoman Laura J. Perry, D-Hopkinton.

The county received the funds early this year, she said, and a request for proposals developed by DANC, the IT Committee and the county Planning Office was sent to 11 service providers. Out of three responses, a panel of business representatives, residents and IT professionals selected Slic Network Solutions, Potsdam, to make direct fiber connections to residents' homes.

"It's going to be the first fiber-to-home project in the county," Ms. Perry said. "It's pretty exciting."

The $155,000 project will extend broadband Internet access to 120 households. William S. Hunter, Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corporation Broadband Committee chairman, said Slic is able to provide access for a relatively small number of homes because they have also negotiated a deal to provide Internet and phone service to the paper mill.

"That's what made it possible," Mr. Hunter said. "We had several other bidders who would have been willing to provide service, but it would have been on a much lower level. We're extremely happy to have this."

DANC extended fiber-optics network access to the paper mill early last year.

Slic General Manager Philip J. Wagschal and DANC Open Access Telecommunications Network Manager David M. Wolf could not be reached Tuesday.

Mr. Hunter said the system will offer broadband speeds of 2 to 9 megabytes per second for residential customers and up to 35 megabytes per second for businesses.

"We're always trying to bring new businesses to the area, and it's nearly impossible without high-speed Internet," he said.

Ms. Perry said work on the project is expected to begin within several weeks.