Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell says she strongly supports legislation being carried by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) that would help close the broadband gap in Northern New York.

Gillibrand, speaking at a recent event at Westelcom in Watertown, said the bipartisan Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Act would help close the broadband gap in rural areas to help ensure that all New Yorkers have access to high-speed internet.

Russell said the legislation is critical for the growth of the North Country.

Russell’s 116th Assembly District includes all St. Lawrence County communities along the St. Lawrence River, plus Canton and Potsdam.

"We need broadband to be able to compete. We need to make sure everyone has access, and because it is costly, we need programs targeted to rural areas like the North Country to make it more affordable," Russell noted.

"I commend Senator Gillibrand for her persistent focus on addressing these disparities in rural areas of our country. This program would help put the North Country on equal footing with the rest of the country," Assemblywoman Russell added.

"This will allow our small businesses to flourish, allow businesses in the high-tech industry to locate here and enjoy the beauty of the region, and provide the access our kids need to be fluent in the technology of today and tomorrow," she said.

The Gillibrand legislation would expand resources available for building high-speed broadband infrastructure by creating a new program to combine grants and loans to help finance projects serving rural and tribal areas.

The act would allow for federal grants of up to 50 percent of a project's cost, and up to 75 percent for remote, high-needs areas, to be awarded in combination with loan funding already available through the federal Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.