Empire State Development has awarded Nicholville’s Slic Network Solutions and Development Authority of the North Country as “Most Collaborative Broadband Project and Program.”

The award acknowledges a project or program that has increased statewide internet use or promotes digital literacy, while increasing broadband subscription rates in New York state, ESD said.

Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) and Slic Network Solutions have engaged in multiple efforts to deliver broadband to rural communities in the North Country region. This most recent partnership was created as a means to provide broadband access to homes and businesses in rural areas where middle-mile fiber already existed but residential service had not yet been established, ESD said.

Their partnership allowed both providers to expand their service footprints rapidly, while limiting up-front costs, and generating revenue on unused assets. As a direct result of this collaboration, small, rural communities in the North Country region are now enjoying the benefits of broadband, ESD said.

The awards were given at the 2015 NYS Broadband Summit, which ESD said brought together more than 350 broadband stakeholders from New York. The summit featured updates from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and included several breakout sessions ranging from regional broadband strategy development, broadband and economic development and broadband adoption, to rural broadband challenges and workshops on how to form effective partnerships.