NORWICH – Chenango County government is footing half the cost of a feasibility study that may ultimately expand broadband internet access in even the farthest reaches of Chenango County.

With the intnent of determining costs of building broadband infrastrure in rural regions of the county, Chenango County officials committed $15,000 (or 50 percent the costs of the study) at a regular meeting of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors last week. The remaining 50 percent will be borne by the Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board.

Southern Tier East – an organization serving Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie and Tioga counties – has taken on similar efforts to expand broadband access in Tioga and Schoharie counties. And since fewer than 25 percent of Chenango presently has access to a high-speed broadband internet connection, it was made a top priority.

“Private companies will invest in more urbanized areas like cities and villages where they will see a return of investment, but they don’t see a return of investment in more rural areas where they might see only a few subscribers,” said Southern Tier East Director Erik Miller.

Miller, addressing the Board of Supervisors at their meeting last Monday, explained that while private broadband internet providers are slow to invest in broadband infrastructure in sparsely populated regions, a public-private partnership would be an economic boon especially to farms and other agricultural businesses in the area.

All this follows a recent push by federal and New York State legislators to make faster internet available in rural areas. In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would seek applications for the Community Connect Grant Program, an nationwide initiative to help offset costs of private companies that invest in broadband internet access in rural areas like Chenango County. The program offers grants of up to $3 million.