Livingston County recognizes the vital importance of broadband access. There have been technical studies which acknowledge the need for improved access to broadband internet. These studies include the County’s Strategic Plan, the County’s anti-poverty initiative called THRIVE LivINgston, the County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan, and the Livingston County Economic Development Strategic Plan.
The county commissioned a county-wide asset inventory, an engineering report and a public survey to analyze the need and shape future strategies for rural broadband development. The survey was distributed county-wide in the winter of 2019 to residents, businesses, and farm operators. It was designed to collect data on current broadband services, offerings and speeds by location. The results from the survey have been vital for a better understanding of the internet landscape in the county. Among respondents:
- 41% lack sufficient internet access in Livingston County today
- 90% of respondents consider broadband internet to be vital public infrastructure
- 79% stated that government should play a role in financing high-speed internet development
For a more detailed presentation of Livingston County's broadband efforts please see the slide presentation from the Light Up Livingston Update as given to the Finger Lakes Digital Inclusion Coalition on September 28, 2021.