MTC Broadband Upgrades coming to Andes and Open House on May 30
The Margaretville Telephone Company (MTC) will be introducing new broadband, cable television, and telephone services to residents within the Town of Andes (and MTC customers in the Town of Bovina) this summer.
“We are in the final stages of construction of the new fiber network which has been on-going for nearly two-years. The scope of the project is enormous when you consider that the legacy, twisted-pair telephone network which has been in place for many years is now being replaced with a new state-of-the-art fiber optic network. With the construction phase of the project winding down, emphasis is now focused on splicing and activation of the new facilities,” Steve Finch, Project Manager for MTC explained.
With the new fiber-optic network nearing completion and upgrades to its cable television system finalized earlier this year, MTC will be offering faster broadband options to residents and businesses throughout the Town of Andes. In addition, cable television and enhanced telephone service offerings will be introduced to residents who live outside of the existing cable television footprint who previously did not have access to these services. Going forward, the priority will be focused on the installation of a new fiber optic “drop cable” to all homes and businesses which currently subscribe to Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service as a requirement to transition to the fiber network.
The construction of the fiber-optic network in Andes, as well as upgrades completed to the cable television system, are part of on-going projects being worked on simultaneously throughout the Central Catskills designed to bring broadband services to un-served and underserved segments of the region. MTC is currently in various stages of construction of ten broadband expansion projects supported in part by matching grant funding from the New York State Broadband Program Office and financing from the Catskill Watershed Corporation. These broadband expansion projects will bring advanced telecommunications services to unserved portions of the Towns of Andes, Bovina, Colchester, Conesville, Gilboa, Halcott, Harpersfield, Hardenburgh, Jefferson, Jewett, Middletown, Roxbury and Shandaken by the end of 2019. Over 13,000 homes and business will have access to advanced broadband services when all projects are completed.
Glen Faulkner, General Manager of MTC explains “Governor Cuomo’s commitment to leveraging public/private investment as a means to facilitate broadband expansion into the rural, un-served segments of our communities plays a key role in many broadband expansion projects across the State. Access to broadband is an important economic driver and contributes to the prosperity of our communities in many ways. The residents of Andes and surrounding communities have been patiently waiting for a program which provides the funding resources to ensure a sustainable business-model. We are excited to see this project nearing completion and to start rolling-out these new services!”
MTC is hosting an Open House for residents of the Town of Andes (including MTC customers in the Town of Bovina) on Wednesday, May 30th from 4:00 to 7:00PM at the Andes Fire House Meeting Hall. The venue will provide the opportunity for MTC to introduce residents to the new service options, showcase products, provide installation time-lines, schedule drop installations to the home, and answer any questions residents may have.
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Margaretville Telephone Company is a local, employee owned company serving high speed internet, cable television and telephone to the Central Catskill Region of upstate New York.
The deployment of broadband service is supported by a grant awarded to Margaretville Telephone Company by New York State through the New NY Broadband Program.
