Committee Activity

The Committee on Small Business will meet for a hearing titled, “Closing the Digital Divide: Connecting Rural Americans to Reliable Internet Service.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, October 4, 2019 at Columbia Greene Community College, 4400 Route 23, Hudson, NY 12534.

Over 24 million Americans, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas, lack access to broadband at benchmark speeds. Small businesses, students, and farmers across upstate New York deserve better access to reliable and affordable broadband service. The field hearing will be an opportunity for the public to hear a conversation about broadband deployment efforts in rural America and the challenges small firms and local communities face without reliable broadband services.

Hearing Notice 

Hearing Memo 

Witness List 

Witnesses 

Mr. Tim Johnson
CEO
Otsego Electric Cooperative
Edmeston, NY
Testimony 

Ms. Shannon Hayes
Owner
Sap Bush Hollow Farm Store and Café
West Fulton, NY
Testimony 

Mr. David Berman
Co-Chair
Columbia Connect
Ghent, NY
Testimony

Mr. Jason Miller
General Manager
Delhi Telephone Company
Delhi, NY
Testimony 

Mr. Brian Dunn
Superintendent
Middleburgh Central School District
Middleburgh, NY
Testimony 

Dr. Cliff Belden
Chief Medical Officer
Columbia Memorial Health
Hudson, NY
Testimony 

*Witness testimony will be posted within 24 hours after the hearing’s occurrence