Archtop Fiber’s Expansion in Sullivan County Brings Jobs to Ulster, But What’s Next for Broadband Here?

Strong, future-proof data networks are a necessity for regional economic development. Access to high-speed fiber broadband fuels business growth, enables remote work, and boosts digital access and equity in both urban and rural areas.

That’s why recent broadband expansion efforts by Archtop Fiber in Sullivan County are a major step forward for the region. But they also raise an important question: What about Ulster County?

Last year, Sullivan County and Archtop Fiber were co-awarded a $30 million grant through New York’s ConnectALL program aimed at expanding fiber infrastructure and improving access to high-speed Internet. The investment will help build hundreds of miles of new fiber optic network, reaching more than 22,000 homes and businesses, including some of the region’s most underserved areas. Additionally, a new communication tower will strengthen connectivity in Sullivan County’s rural and mountainous terrain.

Archtop, in helping to lead this effort, will bring their multi-gig fiber optic network to more residents and businesses. This expansion will provide more reliable Internet access for essential services—from healthcare to education—and create new economic opportunities. State-of-the-art data infrastructure allows businesses to provide the goods and services driving growth in today’s digital economy.

This Sullivan County expansion is great news for our neighbors to the west, and it also creates new jobs and opportunities in Ulster County. With Archtop Fiber headquartered in iPark 87, the former IBM campus in Kingston, much of the planning, engineering, and support for the Sullivan County project will be handled right here, meaning more local jobs in tech, construction, customer service, and business development.

While that means Ulster benefits from this expansion, there’s still a critical need to accelerate high-speed broadband construction here at home. Large-scale broadband investments haven’t yet materialized at the same scale in Ulster County, in a part of the Mid-Hudson Region that is at risk of falling behind not just Sullivan but also Orange and Rockland Counties.

Expanding fiber access in Ulster County is about more than just enhanced communication. Enterprise-level Internet is essential to attracting growing industries and the high-quality jobs that come with dynamic businesses. With Archtop Fiber proving its ability to deliver game-changing broadband in Sullivan County, it’s time to ask: will Ulster see the same level of investment?

Policymakers, business leaders, and community members should push for similar broadband initiatives in Ulster County, ensuring that we aren’t left behind as fiber infrastructure expands across New York. Archtop Fiber is already positioned as a key player in Ulster’s broadband future, but turning potential into reality will require state and local funding partnerships, just as Sullivan County has secured. If broadband investment in Ulster keeps pace with Sullivan’s, the entire region will benefit—not just from better Internet, but from the long-term economic and community advantages that come with it.