Statement from Senator May and Assemblymember Santabarbara, Chairs of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, on the Need to Address Internet Access in Rural Communities during this Public Health Crisis

“New Yorkers are being asked to make enormous sacrifices to help slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. With all non-essential businesses closed in New York State, many are facing new challenges as they transition to working at home, especially in our rural communities. The reality is that many of our rural communities in New York State still do not have reliable access to high-speed broadband, making this move particularly difficult. Many have been forced to rely on more costly cellular connections to access high-speed internet for work. 

As we continue to respond to this global pandemic, we are calling on Verizon, T-Mobile, and other companies to do their part by waiving their data caps for the next 60 days to help rural New Yorkers, who now need to work from home, do their jobs. Most cellular plans simply do not have data flexibility to meet the current needs of both family and work life during this national emergency.”

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