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BALLSTON SPA — The general public soon will have free Wi-Fi from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Front Street in the village for a total of three years due to an agreement to bring SLIC Broadband Internet services to the area, according to the village mayor.
“I’m excited by it,” Mayor Frank Rossi said. “I think it’s something unique for this area.”
Part of the agreement with SLIC also includes free internet access for the fire station, which is housing part of the company’s equipment, Rossi said. “Which saves us a couple thousand dollars — up to about $3,000 — in the process,” he said. “It’s a nice win-win situation for us.”
SLIC said it’s happy to be partnering with the village.
“Ballston Spa shares many of the characteristics of the small communities currently served by SLIC — most notably a demonstrated need for faster, but more reliable and stable broadband to support its residents and businesses, particularly as the community continues to attract newcomers with its idyllic charm,” said Kevin Lynch, the chief operating officer for the company in an emailed statement.
The company’s website states it’s a North Country company, but doesn’t list exactly what municipalities it serves. SLIC has been in the fiber optic networks business for over two decades, according to Lynch.
“SLIC seeks to partner with communities to support the growth of local economies and to provide the technological support for improved health, education, work-from-home and entertainment outcomes,” Lynch’s email said.
Lynch said it’s too early to say when the service will be online as it works with utility providers to bring its service to the village.
“SLIC will communicate openly and clearly as soon as it has reliable visibility,” Lynch said.
Rossi said the village is still in talks with Greenlight about possible plans to expand into the area as well..
“We’re not picking ponies here, we’re just big fans of getting competition out there with high speed fiber at this time and it looks like it’s becoming a reality quicker and quicker for us,” he said.
Greenlight has been expanding throughout Saratoga County, most recently in Clifton Park and Malta.
Rossi said if the company offers good service the village may look at switching over to that instead of having Spectrum.
“We’re interested in getting high speed fiber into Village Hall,” he said. “Sometimes our internet connection is a little bit lousy, I got to be honest with you, so it would be a nice change of pace if it’s reliable.”
Categories: -News-, News, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs
