Broome County and Southern Tier 8 are taking their first steps into bringing Fiber Technology to the Triple Cities.

At the Broome County Public Library, local officials announced that the county received a $50,000 grant from Appalachian Regional Commission to bring high-speed fiber internet access into the City of Binghamton, Endicott, and Johnson City. 

Fiberoptics is a form of internet connection that is far faster than cable or satellite internet while being much more reliable and accessible. 

"To provide quality of life for our residents, economic competitiveness and integrate modern technologies and those of the future, a robust, resilient, digital backbone is critical," said Broome County Planner Beth Lucas. 

Southern Tier 8 launched the program "Project Connect" in November of 2021. City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham believes Fiber Technology will push Binghamton forward with intelligent technology, bringing more educational opportunities.

"What access to high-capacity broadband allows residents in the City of Binghamton to have more educational opportunities," said Kraham. "It's the library card of the 21st century."

Access to a high-speed internet connection will be crucial to attracting more businesses into the Southern Tier. 

The next step for Southern Tier 8 is hiring a project consultant to help push the project forward.