﻿North Country lawmakers push for upstate cellular task force update

ALBANY | North Country lawmakers are again seeking an update from Gov. Andrew Cuomo on New York's Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force, which held its first meeting in the Capitol nearly two years ago. According to the governor's press release at that time, the task force would 'develop potential solutions and policies to address the lack of cell service in rural and remote parts of upstate New York'. Sen. Dan Stec and Assembly members Carrie Woerner, Matt Simpson, Billy Jones and Robert Smullen sent a letter to the governor on July 14 following up on a letter they had sent at the end of March that did not receive a response. "We just want to know where things stand with the task force given the fact that gaps in cellular coverage remain a serious problem in many rural communities," Stec said July 15. Assemblyman Jones said "Constituents continue to contact my office because there are areas throughout my district that still do not have cell phone coverage." "It has been almost two years since the task force held its first meeting, and my colleagues and I are just looking for an update so we can start to take action toward addressing this pressing issue." Assemblyman Simpson called the issue "crucial and urgent." "Stakeholders from throughout the North Country and New York State are facing rapidly approaching deadlines for grant applications geared specifically towards developing this critical infrastructure. Without the data, they are otherwise faced with making critical decisions on resource allocation and expenditures with one hand tied behind their backs." The lawmakers said state funding was spent to do mapping but those maps have not been released publicly. They noted they are not aware of a report nor any specific recommendations made by the task force. In their letter to the governor, which also was sent to the chairs of the Senate and Assembly committees which oversee technology and communication, lawmakers wrote: "We request that whatever information the task force generated be provided to us so that we may share it with our local elected officials, chambers of commerce, public safety officers and many others who remain eager for solutions to help address this important issue."

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North Country lawmakers push for upstate cellular task force update

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﻿North Country lawmakers push for upstate cellular task force update

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North Country lawmakers push for upstate cellular task force update