Rochester internet speeds fall way behind New York City, Syracuse and Albany

The typical American household has five web-connected devices, a number that's likely to grow during the holiday season as folks stock up on the latest electronic gadgets.

The proliferation of cell phones, tablets and streaming video players has increased the need for high speed internet service, and it's why proposed changes to net neutrality rules will impact most homes.

FCC commissioners will vote Thursday on a plan to eliminate policies that require internet service providers to treat all data on the internet the same. More than two dozen broadband companies, including AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, call these rules too heavy-handed and a harm to innovation.

Critics say the move would let these companies charge extra for “fast lanes,” and allow ISPs (internet service providers) to intentionally block, slow down, or charge money for access to specific websites or types of content.

For consumers, that may mean paying a premium to access services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. Cord cutters who've saved money by eliminating cable television service may find their costs rising again.

While politicians in Washington argue over whether there should be "slow lanes" and "fast lanes" for internet service, many homes and businesses in the Rochester area find themselves already stuck in the slow lane.

Statewide, 74 percent of New Yorkers have access to broadband at speeds of 100 Mbps (megabits per second) or faster. In New York City, it's close to 100 percent. It's 65 percent in Syracuse and 51 percent in Albany.

But data gathered by industry watchdog Broadband Now shows a starkly different picture in the greater Rochester area. In Monroe County, only 7.4 percent of residents have access to 100 Mbps service. In Ontario County the figure is 1.1 percent, and if you live in Livingston or Orleans or Wayne County, it's essentially unavailable.

Phil Dampier of Brighton, founder of Stop the Cap, an advocacy group that fights for better broadband, says we've fallen behind other upstate communities where significant investments have been made,

"We've been moving in the opposite direction," he said.

Dampier said it's not over-regulation that has prevented expansion of fiber networks in our region, but a lack of competition that would create incentive for that sort of investment.

"Without competition they can get away with it," Dampier said.

Most residential customers in Monroe County have just two choices when it comes to Internet service: Spectrum, formerly known as Time Warner Cable, which offers a 60 Mbps service, and Frontier, which offers DSL service at speeds of up to 24 Mbps.

Some neighborhoods have a third option, Greenlight Networks, which offers 100 Mbps service in pockets of the city and some east-side suburbs.

"Greenlight is an excellent service," Dampier said. "Everyone wants it, but it has been frustratingly slow to expand."

Empire Access is another company that offers highspeed service in some of the surrounding counties, including communities like Batavia, Penn Yan and Naples.

Dampier says Spectrum's arrival in Western New York has been a mixed bag for local consumers.

"Most have seen their broadband speed go up from 15 or 30 to 60 Mbps," he said. "But for a lot of people their bills have also gone up."

In the coming months, Dampier says Spectrum will announce digital upgrades which could boost most residential customers in our area to 100 Mbps. While that's good news for consumers in the short term, it will put pressure on the smaller competitors attempting to keep pace.

"Spectrum is in a great position to continue its majority share in this market," he said.

Municipal solutions

Dampier is among those who say the best approach to solving the problem is for local governments to foot the bill to build out fiber-optic networks,

"Communities need to control their own digital future, not leave it in the hands of private providers," he said.

It's something that has been done elsewhere with great success.

"Chattanooga remade themselves by making that investment," Dampier said. "They have attracted businesses from all over Tennessee and the South because their broadband is so great and so affordable."

Affordability is a key issue, especially in a city like Rochester with such high concentrations of poverty. Having broadband networks running through neighborhoods that can't afford to pay for the service is the same as not having them at all.

Some have floated the idea of municipal broadband in Rochester. During her run for mayor this year, Rachel Barnhart put forward an audacious plan to build out a fiber network in the city of Rochester and provide free or low-cost Internet service to homes and businesses. While her campaign fell short on election night, the proposal generated considerable discussion.

The Rochester City School District has been pushing for such a solution for years.

Annemarie Lehner, RCSD's chief information officer, says that roughly half of the students in the district don't have internet access at home. This puts them at a huge disadvantage in the modern classroom.

Most of the textbooks are online. Teachers use cloud-based instructional material. Students receive their assignments electronically and submit their homework in the same environment. To say nothing of the universe of online resources which can supplement their learning.

"I've listened to students say how difficult it is for them to try to keep up when they can't work from home," Lehner said. "Some students say they count on access through a cell phone, but you can't write a paper on a phone."

Lehner says the district has tried a number of ways to help its students get better broadband access, including applications for state and federal grants, and partnerships with other organizations, such as the Rochester Housing Authority.

"We've hit roadblocks with every avenue we attempted," she said.

The schools themselves are well stocked with technology, both hardware and fiber networks. But too many of them are cut off once they leave the school building,

"Our students are at such a disadvantage," Lehner said. "With all of the problems we have, it's frustrating that we haven't been able to solve this one."

It's not for lack of trying, and Lehner says the efforts will continue.

"It's important for the entire community," Lehner said. "We are not done; we are not stopping. We are still trying to come up with a way to make this work."

Rural broadband

Sen. Charles Schumer was in Livingston County last month to unveil his proposal to to invest more than $40 billion in federal funds to help bring high-speed internet to underserved regions, including many across Western New York.

"Every rural home is entitled to broadband at the same speed and levels as every urban home," Schumer said. "In fact, it's not just rural homes but a lot of suburban homes that are left behind."

During the 1930s, an ambitious federal program sought to expand access to reliable and affordable electricity in rural areas. Schumer's plan would follow the same model to help bring reliable internet access to parts of the country that are underserved, including many communities in Western New York.

Schumer led a roundtable discussion with elected officials and business leaders from Livingston County to discuss improving the quality or accessibility of high-speed internet for both homes and businesses.

About a quarter of all residents in New York state do not have access to broadband, Schumer told them.

The plan would provide funding to close the "last mile gap" and connect those users to existing high speed networks.

Schumer said it was no longer a question of reliable high speed Internet being a luxury. It has become a necessity, and the lack of better service is hampering economic development.

"Companies want to locate where there is access to good broadband," he said, "and investing in the infrastructure will create jobs. It's a win-win."

SLAHMAN@Gannett.com



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