Mayor Walsh Opens Enrollment for New Community Broadband Pilot Program
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced the opening of enrollment on Monday, October 2, 2023 for Surge LinkTM, a pilot program to provide free broadband internet access to 2,500 households in the city of Syracuse.
This new program is a key component of Syracuse’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) plan, and is available to eligible residents in Syracuse's Southwest, Near Westside, and Brighton neighborhoods.
"Limited access to reliable, affordable internet service deprives children from learning opportunities and minimizes access to jobs, healthcare, and other online services that many of us take for granted. Without closing the digital divide that plagues lower income neighborhoods, we can’t achieve our Syracuse Surge goal of inclusive growth in the New Economy,” said Walsh. “Surge Link will change people’s lives for the better now. We will actively be evaluating this pilot and look forward to expanding the service in the future to provide affordable, high-speed internet to underserved households in other Syracuse neighborhoods.”
Following a nationwide request for proposals, the City selected Community Broadband Networks (CBN), a Geneva, N.Y. internet service provider, for a three-year contract to design, install and maintain the Syracuse network. The Syracuse Common Council authorized $3.5 million in ARPA funds for the pilot phase of the program.
Applications for Surge Link are available online at syracusesurgelink.com; by email at freeinternet@syracusesl.com; or by calling (315) 325-5000. Applicants must live in designated, underserved census tracts in the pilot area and either meet income requirements or participate in other federal assistance programs including but not limited to Federal Public Housing Assistance, Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Surge Link is exactly the sort of transformational, long-term investment that I envisioned when we passed the historic American Rescue Plan Act, so communities like Syracuse could accelerate the post-pandemic recovery,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. “Reliable high-speed internet access is not a luxury, but a necessity, and is essential for everything from work to school to healthcare. I am proud to have delivered the $3.5 million in federal funding needed to charge up Surge Link and give Syracuse’s Southwest, Near Westside and Brighton neighborhoods the connectivity they need to succeed in the 21st century.”
“Every household should have access to affordable broadband solutions that meet their needs,” said Angela Siefer, Executive Director of National Digital Inclusion Alliance. “Technology access and use is no longer a luxury. It is now a necessity to live, learn, work, and thrive. Kudos to the City of Syracuse for prioritizing digital equity.”
“Community Broadband Networks’ mission, since inception, has been to provide affordable internet access to the many underserved residents in Central New York,” said James Orioli, Chief Financial Officer of CBN. “We’ve seen how access to the internet can change people’s lives for the better—enabling students to access their classrooms remotely, or elderly folks to receive tele-health services at home and providing many more benefits
Data from the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) shows that over 25% of Syracuse households lack reliable access to broadband internet. Narrowing that gap is a critical part of the Syracuse Surge, the City’s strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy. The City has made key investments in digital infrastructure, including upgrades to city operations that utilize connected technology with data analytics and programs to promote digital inclusion and skilling for residents. In its effort to improve access to the internet for residents, the City established free Wi-Fi service at public buildings such as City Hall and One Park Place and expanded free outdoor public Wi-Fi access at five neighborhood-based community center locations throughout the city.
Using ARPA funds, the City worked with the Syracuse Neighborhood Community Center Collaborative to launch the “Digital Empowerment Program” in January 2023, which provides Digital Navigators citywide to work with residents one-on-one and in small groups to improve digital literacy and help access affordable home internet options. In addition, the program connected families that don’t have a computer at home with free laptops. More than 400 residents have participated in the Digital Empowerment Program, using the internet to access opportunities such as applying for jobs and public benefits, receiving social services, and staying connected to their family and friends.
