Lawmakers want action on rural cell coverage issues in Upstate New York fingerlakes1.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fingerlakes1.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Nearly two years have passed since the stateâs Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force met to improve lacking cell phone service in rural and sparsely populated communities, but officials cast doubt Thursday the group will reconvene.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo created the Cellular Task Force, administered by Empire State Development, in September 2019. The group includes industry experts, community leaders, bipartisan lawmakers, environmental representatives and other stakeholders.
The group first met Sept. 10, 2019, followed by a handful of meetings that fall. A group of upstate legislators requested an update Thursday in a letter to Cuomo and the department.
âIn late March, we wrote to you requesting an update on the work and progress made by the Upstate Cellular Coverage Task Force . It appears the task force has yet to report on its work, nor did we receive a response from your office to our inquiry of now more than three months ago,â according to the letter signed by Se
Executive Deputy and Deputy Chair; Director, Office of Telecommunications, New York State Public Service Commission
The New York State Public Service Commission is the state oversight body whose mission is to ensure that utilities in New York are operating according to the letter of law and adhere to technical and safety standards. While John Howard serves as the PSC’s interim chair, Tom Congdon is responsible for overseeing the state department’s broader policy priorities, and Debra LaBelle’s Office of Telecommunications directly oversees New York’s most powerful telecommunications players.
2. John Paul Farmer & Jessica Tisch
Chief Technology Officer; Citywide Chief Information Officer, New York City