Windstream (NASDAQ:WIN) has been awarded $2.7 million in Phase 3 of the New NY Broadband Program. An additional Windstream investment of $674,225 brings the total to almost $3.4 million.
The funding is intended to support Windstream's deployment of broadband to 751 rural locations in western New York.
Upgrades are planned in rural parts of Bemus Point, Clymer, Ellington, Jamestown, Lakewood, Panama, Sinclairville and Steadman. The upgrades are planned to enable minimum downstream speeds of 25 Mbps.
"Windstream's participation in the New NY Broadband Program highlights our commitment to deploying broadband in rural areas that would not be economically feasible without public-private partnerships like this one," said Jeff Small, president of Windstream's consumer and small business segment. "We are delighted that we were able to take part in such a valuable program, and we applaud the state of New York for its leadership on this important economic development issue."
Separately, in 2015 Windstream accepted almost $1.6 million in annual support from the second round of the FCC's Connect America Fund (CAF) to provide broadband services at 5,210 rural locations in New York.
Last week, Verizon (NYSE:VZ) was awarded $70.7 million under the New NY Broadband Program to support broadband deployment to more than 15,500 rural locations in upstate New York.