The Upper Delaware Council will hold a public session on the status of Sullivan County's $30 million broadband expansion, explaining how the project will reach more than 22,000 homes and businesses currently without reliable internet access. The presentation, set for Thursday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m., will cover construction progress on the Archtop Fiber network and precede the council's regular monthly business meeting.
What the project involves
Archtop Fiber, a Kingston, NY-based company, and Sullivan County are jointly building the infrastructure using funding from New York State's ConnectALL program. Construction began in June 2025 and calls for burying 253 miles of fiber conduit, which the Upper Delaware Council describes as the county's largest broadband investment to date. In mountainous or otherwise hard-to-reach sections, the network will rely on fixed wireless access transmitted from 11 existing county emergency communications towers rather than buried cable, a hybrid approach often used to extend coverage without the cost of trenching through difficult terrain.
Ownership and service structure
Under the partnership, Sullivan County will retain ownership of the physical infrastructure, while Archtop Fiber LLC will operate as the internet service provider delivering connections to residents and businesses. This public-ownership, private-operator model is increasingly common in municipal broadband projects, since it allows local governments to control a long-term public asset while leaving day-to-day service delivery and customer support to a commercial operator.
Checking availability and following progress
Residents and business owners can look up whether their address falls within the project's service area, review construction maps, and register for updates through the Connect Sullivan portal at www.connectsullivan.com. The portal is intended to give property owners a direct way to track when fiber or wireless service might become available at their location rather than relying solely on word of mouth or media coverage.
Meeting details and participation
The infrastructure presentation, expected to run about 30 minutes, will be followed by the council's standard monthly agenda, including reports from the Delaware River Basin Commission, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the National Park Service, and the council's executive director, along with discussion of old and new business and a public comment period. The meeting takes place at the council's office at 211 Bridge St. and is open to the public, with a Zoom option available for remote attendees who request the link by emailing [email protected] or calling 845/252-3022. Updates on scheduling can be found at www.upperdelawarecouncil.org or on the council's social media pages.