Gigabyte Broadband Project Announced to bring Broadband to 4 Westchester Cities, including White Plains

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WPCNR COMMUNICATIONS NEWS. By John F. Bailey. October 6, 2016:

The Westchester County Association announced this morning at 1133 Westchester Avenue, that it has launched a public-private partnership to spearhead Smart Growth initiatives in Westchester County, NY to bring gigabit broadband, new business and innovation to Westchester’s four largest cities: Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains and Yonkers. The cities are to sign a Smart City ComPACT shortly. This is the first such compact between cities in the nation. The White Plains Common Council approved White Plains participation Monday evening at a Common Council meeting.

WPCNR learned that four cities would form a study committee now being formed, analyze their infrastructure and broadband needs and costs and both Mayor Tom Roach and Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers indicated that the private section of broadband providers was expected to participate in providing what Mayor Roach called “a best package,’ for the four cities.

Bill Mooney addressing the cost question posed by WPCNR, said the cost of gigibyting and broadbanding the four cities is estimated at $750 Million. He said that the broadbanding initiative was expected to be operating in 3 to 4 years. A Project Manager for the committee to be formed to analyze the mutual needs of the four cities will be named in 3 to 4 weeks.

Mayor Roach told WPCNR that analysis of cities needs would be analyzed by the committee, but he felt White Plains was in good shape in terms of conduit infrastructure to accommodate the broadbanding of White Plains.

 

 

 

 

 
Under the terms of the pact, the cities will seek joint funding, share best practices, develop joint federal and state legislative agendas, and collaborate on creating innovation districts, among other things

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