Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse’s new affordable internet service for low-income residents is a finalist for a North American award, and city officials are urging residents to vote for it online.
The city’s Surge Link municipal broadband program, launched in October in a pilot study area with the goal of serving up to 2,500 households, is one of four communities vying for the Digital Equit and Accessiblity award in the 2024 IDC Government Insights North American Smart Cities awards.
Residents can cast their votes through a link on the city’s website at goto.syr.gov/idcsmartcities. Voting runs through March 8. CVG Airport in Erlandger, Kentucky, the city of Seattle and the city of Irving, Texas, are also finalists in the category.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh proposed and the Syracuse Common Council approved using $3.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to start Surge Link. In a partnership with Geneva-based Community Broadband Networks, the city kicked off the program last fall in the predominantly low-income Southwest, Near Westside and Brighton neighborhoods. Surge Link began as a free service but the pending expiration of a federal program that subsidizes internet service for income-eligible citizens has bumped the price to $10 per month for new enrollees.
Syracuse hopes to expand Surge Link to the rest of the city. It is applying for state funding to build out infrastructure on the North Side, as well as the rest of the South Side and West Side.
“Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning and access to essential services,” Mayor Ben Walsh said in a press release. “As New York’s flagship smart city, this nomination reflects our leadership in bridging the digital divide in Syracuse. I encourage people across Syracuse and Central New York to go online and vote for Surge Link.”
Syracuse and New York City were the only finalists in the 2024 Smart Cities competition from New York State. The city won the Sustainable Infrastructure category in the 2022 contest for its energy-efficient LED street light program. It repeated in 2023 with a win in the Next-Generation Emergency Services category for its real-time online snow plow map.
City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at [email protected], (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
