State Senator George Borrello
State Senator George Borrello and several other Upstate Senators are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to eliminate an annual fiber-optic tax.
Borrello said the elimination of the fee in the state budget would have an immediate impact in rural areas in terms of broadband installation and access.
He said, since 2019, New York State has charged a fiber-optic fee on state highways. This tax is the only one of its kind with similar utilities like coaxial cable providers not assessed this surcharge.
Borrello added in a statement, “While the Executive Budget allocates $1.6 billion for new broadband projects, until the administration’s onerous fiber optic tax is eliminated, the drive to connect rural areas will continue to fall short and residents in these areas will continue to be unserved. Although state leaders often proclaim ‘broadband is as essential as electricity and running water,’ by levying a tax on fiber optic cables in state rights-of-way, but not other utilities, their words ring hollow. Any genuine commitment to closing the digital divide must include repeal of this fee.”
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