WASHINGTON, D.C. – With New York lagging behind most states, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced last week his support of legislation that would provide tax breaks and funding to expand broadband and high-speed wireless Internet access to homes and businesses.
New York ranked 31st among all 50 states in the percentage of households with an Internet connection. According to an analysis done by ECC Associates, a consulting firm located in the Southern Tier, roughly 12 percent of homes in New York could not have access to a broadband connection, meaning they could not get high speed service (except for expensive satellite service) if they wanted.
“In an economy that is increasingly reliant on high speed Internet, not having high speed Internet access is like not having air to breathe,” said Schumer during a conference call Wednesday. “With broadband technology the lifeblood of the new economy, it is more important than ever to bring high speed access to underserved communities.”
Schumer backs the bi-partisan Broadband Tax Enhancement Act that passed the Senate Finance Committee last week. The legislation would permit individuals and businesses to deduct from their taxable income costs associated with the installation and connection of broadband and wireless networks in rural or underserved areas.
He also plans to offer an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would increase by $50 million, or a 10 percent increase, funding for the Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. The latter would make it easier for local communities who are looking to create wireless networks.
Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers said tacking on an amendment for Internet technology to an agriculture appropriations bill makes sense when farmers have a “big need for wireless here.”
“We are too spread out of an industry for a company to say they are going to supply broadband, wi-fi and cable services to all of us,” he said, adding that many Chenango County Farm Bureau members have dial-up and one uses a satellite connection to the Internet.
“Farmers need online weather prediction, crop forecasters and commodity markets information. You can actually buy livestock through live, online auctions now, as well as hedge your crop in real time,” he said.
According to Federal Communications Commission data, urban and densely populated counties have far more high-speed Internet providers with the vast majority of rural counties having less than three providers. 
Pilot projects and new start ups are popping up across upstate New York with dozens of other communities planning on creating networks. Right now, most wireless “hot spots” are limited to chain restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels. However, some local governments across upstate New York, as large as Buffalo and Rochester and as small as Tivoli and Oneonta, have contracted with private companies to create wider-scoped networks to cover public places and entire communities.
Schumer’s release stated that there are 37 wireless high-speed Internet “hot spots” currently active in the Southern Tier.
Schumer also called on the Commerce Department to coordinate with the FBI to craft a set of specific security standards to protect wireless users and prevent criminals from taking advantage of public Internet services.  Several law enforcement agencies have raised concerns about their ability to track and monitor Wi-Fi users who may be using the network for nefarious activities, such as child pornography or identity theft. Schumer said the standards should include methods to trace the identity of users and set up firewalls to protect users’ personal information.