U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (right) visited Holley on August 16 to discuss the planned expansion of high-speed internet access in Orleans County. Standing in the Public Square, he spoke about how the Community Free Library served as a lifeline to residents during the pandemic providing internet hotspots for those who needed them. “COVID has shown us in no uncertain terms that the internet, much like a telephone or electricity, is not a luxury anymore; it’s a necessity,” Senator Schumer said. There are currently 1,351 addresses in the county that don’t have internet access and 6,700 with only low-speed access. Last month the Orleans County Legislature voted to allocate $3.6 million of its American Rescue Plan funds to contract with Massachusetts-based RTO Wireless to make high-speed internet service available throughout the county. This will be accomplished by RTO co-locating their transmitters on existing county-owned communication towers. “Every family, every business, every community deserves and needs high-speed internet,” Schumer said. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.
Photo from @HolleySupt on Twitter
