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Albany, NY
(February 22, 2010)Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, New York State Chief Information Officer, Director of the Office for Technology (CIO/OFT) and Chair of the New York State Broadband Development and Deployment Council presented an update on statewide broadband activities and federal stimulus broadband funding opportunities for New York during a meeting of the NYS Library’s Gates Broadband Grant Program Advisory Group.
Dr. Mayberry-Stewart spoke about New York’s efforts to expand broadband Internet service throughout the state. During her presentation she highlighted funding opportunities available for broadband education, awareness, training, equipment and support to libraries through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. She further discussed New York’s new mapping initiative designed to help speed deployment of broadband coverage and help the state determine the highest-priority areas for investments in broadband infrastructure and technology.
The NYS Library’s Gates Broadband Grant Program Advisory Group was formed to oversee grant dollars received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Library Foundation. New York recently was awarded a grant for $947,517 for a pilot project called the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program. The grants are aimed at implementing local broadband improvement plans to develop strategies for upgrading and sustaining Internet connections in libraries, as well as raising federal E-rate participation rates among libraries. New York was one of five states selected to receive Foundation Grants because they had a high number of libraries without high-speed Internet access that were struggling to increase their bandwidth for patrons.
To view Dr. Mayberry-Stewart’s presentation: Click Here
For more information about New York’s participation in the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program visit: Gates Foundation Broadband Grant Program
Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, NYS CIO and Director of the Office for Technology listens to a question from a member of the Advisory Council. Also featured are David Walsh, CIO, NYS State Education Department and Bernie Margolis, NYS Librarian.
Chris Ellis, Special Assistant to the NYS CIO; Diane Berry, Ristina Wigg and other members of the Gates Advisory Council listen to an update on NYS broadband initiatives.
Honorable James C. Dawson, NYS Board of Regents; Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, NYS CIO and Director of the Office for Technology; Linda Todd, Grant Coordinator, NYS State Library; Jeffrey Cannell, Deputy Commissioner , NYS Office of Cultural Education; and Bernie Margolis, NYS Librarian.
