Representative Antonio Delgado crowed in a press release March 20 that the Federal Communication Commission now says New York will be eligible for participation in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The FCC first declared that the entire State of New York would not be receiving any federal funds in the first phase of the program. Delgado and other representatives in left-out districts sent letters to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai calling for part of $20.4 billion program to go to New York. The FCC reversed its initial decision in January, and this latest announcement makes clear which locations in New York will be able to access RDOF funding. “I am pleased to see that New York locations were included in the FCC’s list of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund eligible sites, and that certain locations in NY-19 will be able to benefit from this large federal investment in broadband infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the urgent need to close the digital divide and ensure our upstate hospitals, businesses and students can access the information highway,” said Delgado. “RDOF’s $20.4 billion dollars represents the vast majority of the federal government’s broadband investment over the next ten years, and to block New York from accessing approximately 80 percent of that funding would be unconscionable. I was glad to lead 22 of my colleagues in a bipartisan letter calling on FCC Chairman Pai to reverse its initial decision to exclude New York, and am even more pleased that these efforts will directly benefit upstate residents who desperately need broadband access. Anyone who has driven across our district knows that the need for high-speed broadband infrastructure is dire, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, where health experts are advising that folks communicate with healthcare providers via telemedicine, and school closures have children homeschooling for the immediate future. I will continue advocating for broadband investments across our district throughout this pandemic and make sure everyone has access to reliable, highspeed broadband service built out to withstand changes in technology.”