KINGSTON – Large rural areas of Ulster County have little to no broadband service and County Comptroller March Gallagher would like that to change so she has created a Digital Citizens Commission and released a draft broadband map.
Gallagher said the county’s map of digital coverage has not been updated in over a decade and given the importance of broadband to the local economy, the county needs to know the current status of service.
“Digital access affects healthcare, it affects jobs, it’s a basis of education and social connection during the pandemic, so it’s really affecting every aspect of people’s lives,” she said. “And, we have 13 towns in Ulster County that have areas that are unserved and the map has not be updated since 2009.”
Gallagher said she also wants to look into cellphone service since areas of the county have poor coverage.
