Interactive Broadband Map Released by Public Service Commission

The New York State Public Service Commission has released an interactive broadband map showing residents of the state how well their area is served, per a press release from Governor Kathy Hochul.

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The map allows you to enter in a specific address or scroll through the different regions of New York. According to the press release, it's the first map of its kind to exist for public consumption.

The intent of the map, created with the help of 60 internet providers and tens of thousands of New York consumers, is to identify areas that are being underserved. Governor Hochul stated that "With this mapping in hand, we can see where to direct State and Federal broadband funding to connect unserved and underserved areas. This address-specific tool is one we can wield to provide a more accurate depiction of connectivity needs in areas that have been disconnected for far too long."

Since reliable internet access is essentially a necessity for almost everyone these days, ensuring that everyone in the state can get online is an important service.

The map also allows users to see what companies serve a particular area on the map and what internet packages those providers have available.

According to the map, 97.4 percent of the state is already covered by high speed internet access, but some of the more rural areas in the state, particularly Hamilton County and and Lewis County, have only about 70% coverage. Using this map, the state will be able to allocate resources to ensuring those areas are able to connect to the internet like everywhere else in New York.