Green, pointing to county map
MONTICELLO – Many remote parts of Sullivan County still do not have broadband, or adequate cell signal coverage. That’s due in large part to sparse population in some areas and the very hilly terrain.
The devastating snow and violent wind storm of last March pointed to a critical need to maintain essential emergency communication. County officials are working on that.
The county’s Chief Information Officer, Lorne Green, told the County
Legislature’s Management and Budget Committee that a wireless broadband
initiative is aimed at addressing key concerns.
“In the event land-based fiber goes down, our core network locations, which is the government center, the data center at the new jail site and Liberty will be able to communicate with each other.”
Green said a point-to-point wireless solution would back up the existing land-based fiber network. That will include an antenna on the roof of the government center in Monticello which would communicate with the main tower adjacent to the new jail and the data center at the airport near Swan Lake.
The intent is to keep communication open with all primary and ancillary county installations in the event of a disaster like last spring’s storm that knocked out power for several days and brought down hundreds of lines.
Green said going forward this will address a longstanding issue.
“The same technology, same antennas, same power can be used to provide wireless broadband,” Green said, calling that an “exciting” prospect.
That will mean subscription commercial broadband service in many areas of the county currently not served.
