Important Digital Equity Initiative to Provide Fiber Access to Every City Address and Reduced-Cost Gigabit-Speed Internet Service for Residents of Public Housing.
(Saratoga Springs, NY…..November 1, 2022) A week after officials launched the Saratoga Springs FiberCity® all-fiberoptic network, Saratoga Springs Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub announced today that SiFi Networks and GigabitNow will be providing reduced-cost Gigabit-speed fiber internet service for all 700 addresses managed by the city’s housing authority. Residents who reside in Housing Authority properties will have access to fiber service with Gigabit speeds—some of the fastest available in the United States—at a 50% monthly price reduction. In the aggregate, it’s estimated these households will save about $30,000 a month or $350,000 per year across the Housing Authority’s portfolio. The Commissioner also announced that Housing Authority offices will also receive discounted service, a benefit to all taxpayers.
“The community is already realizing the benefits of bringing the FiberCity® to Saratoga Springs. One of my goals is to connect all of our residents to opportunity. Once fully built in 2024, every resident will have access to fast, affordable, and reliable fiber service. Bridging our city’s digital divide means connecting residents to jobs, education, healthcare, and other services here or anywhere in the world, seamlessly. We are connecting the entire community to opportunity,” said Commissioner Golub.
“We’re very pleased to partner with the City of Saratoga Springs in support of Commissioner Golub’s vision of digital equity for the entire community. Because the network is being built citywide, every home, business, and institution in Saratoga Springs will have equal access to high-speed fiber, ushering in a new era of opportunity,” said Bob Knight, Spokesman, SiFi Networks. “And because we’re building an Open Access network, multiple providers will be competing for customers on the FiberCity® leading to more competitive pricing, reliable service, and Gigabit speeds, a first in New York State,” Knight added.
According to Paul Feldman, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority, 700 units under his group’s management qualify for SiFi’s FiberCity® Aid program. “Providing deeply discounted service for these families will change lives. I applaud the vision and efforts of Commissioner Golub, SiFi Networks, and GigabitNow who have worked to ensure that all Saratogians have affordable access to ultra-high-speed internet. Helping deserving households participate in the digital economy and enjoy the same benefits that their friends and neighbors have with more means, is a game changer for us all,” he said.
Construction began on the Saratoga Springs FiberCity® network earlier this year. The first households will have lit fiber in fall of 2023 and all households in the city are slated to have service by the end of 2024. Service providers like GigabitNow will announce pricing closer to the network being lit to help prevent predatory pricing offers from the city’s current internet service providers. Those interested in pre-registering for high-speed broadband service can contact GigabitNow through their website: https://www.gigabitnow.com/saratoga-springs.
