The NYC Department of Environmental Protection, a major employer in the region and owner of more than 200,000 acres in its watershed, intends to help expand wireless communications in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley.
Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said Monday in Kingston that DEP remained committed to being “the best neighbor possible” in the region. DEP will collaborate with the state ConnectALL initiative on wireless expansion in underserved areas.
Two schools of thought, the better-late-than-never school and the thanks-for-helping school, were expressed.
“This initiative to eliminate broadband and cellular dead zones in the upstate watershed region is a transformative and long-overdue step,” said state senator Peter Oberacker.
“We are thrilled that the NYC Department of Environmental Protection is expanding broadband and wireless coverage in our watershed communities, which will close major gaps in a service that is truly an essential health, safety, educational, and occupational need in the 21st century,” said Ulster County executive Jen Metzger.
Since publishing its Request For Information, DEP said, it has received significant interest from leaders in the wireless communications and infrastructure sectors.
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