(TNS) — When the city of Syracuse launched high-speed internet service in some of its poorest neighborhoods last fall, officials shamelessly touted it as free.
The email address for inquiries regarding the new Surge Link service was freeinternet@syracusesl.com. Mayor Ben Walsh’s press release announced in the first sentence that “2,500 households will receive free broadband internet access.” The Syracuse Housing Authority called on residents to attend a commencement ceremony to learn “how to apply for free services.”
But four months into the service, new Surge Link subscribers must pay $10 a month, and about 500 residents who signed up for the free service before Feb. 8 will have no monthly fee in the spring. You may be charged.
This is the result of a federal program that unexpectedly expired. The Affordability Connectivity Program provides subsidies for broadband service to 23 million income-eligible households in the United States, including those enrolled in Surge Link. The program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021, is expected to run out of funding in April unless Congress takes action, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The agency froze new applications for the program as of February 8.
The measure comes in addition to the city’s Surge Link program, which offers a $30 credit to income-eligible customers for major internet service providers such as Spectrum and Verizon, which are participating in the program to make it easier to get service. was also an influence. In Syracuse, approximately 24,500 residents are served by two major carriers and benefit from the subsidy. Both companies are currently posting notices regarding program expiration dates on their websites and will be required to provide additional notices directly to affected customers.
“I think we all need to encourage our federal representatives to consider programs similar to the Affordable Connectivity Program in the future,” said Jennifer Tift, director of strategic initiatives at Syracuse. Because we know there’s a great need here,” said Jennifer Tifft, director of strategic initiatives for the city of Syracuse. Wednesday council meeting. “The fact that his 40 percent of Syracuse households are enrolled in that program shows how much people in our city need internet discounts.”
At its Feb. 5 meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation extending the program through the end of this year and for President Joe Biden to sign the proposed legislation. Biden and the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate have expressed support for extending the program, but the Republican-led House of Representatives has announced new spending on such programs without cutting costs elsewhere. is against.
Representative Brandon Williams of Central New York, a first-term Republican, did not respond to a syracuse.com inquiry about his position on the bill. Five Republican members of Congress from New York are co-sponsors of the bill, but Williams is not one of them.
With the end of federal funding looming, Syracuse officials are looking to expand beyond the initial pilot area, which focused on low-income residents in the Southwest, Near Westside and Brighton neighborhoods, to expand the newly established Surge Link We are looking for ways to expand our services. The city is moving forward with the initiative, even though the provision of free services is in jeopardy.
The City Council will vote today to authorize the Walsh administration to apply for state grants worth up to $30 million to cover the cost of building city-owned broadband infrastructure that will be used to expand Surge Link. It is. Tift said the grant could allow the city to expand services to the North Side and the rest of the South Side. Depending on how much state funding is available, the entire West Side could be covered. Federal American Rescue Plan Act funds paid for the city’s initial infrastructure build-out for a pilot program managed by the Geneva-based Community He Broadband Network.
The city still has ARPA funds left to spend on broadband, so it could offer Surge Link a $10 monthly fee after the Affordable Connectivity Program funding expires. Demand for Surge Link could increase even further, as households served by private providers could see a $30 price increase, Tift said.
“We’re talking about being able to provide high-speed internet for $10 a month, which is significantly cheaper than what you can get through a commercial provider if you want internet at home,” Tift said. said. “And I think we all agree that home internet is a very important utility, especially in this day and age.”
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