Wireless Watershed: NYC’s Initiative to Connect the Catskills

For more than a century, the Catskills have provided New York City with billions of gallons of clean drinking water. Will NYC be the unlikely partner that –– finally –– brings wireless coverage to the Catskills?

In a new effort to enhance communications in the Catskills, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is partnering with New York’s ConnectALL initiative to expand wireless and broadband access throughout the New York City watershed.

The initiative was motivated by operational challenges faced by DEP staff due to poor cell coverage, and a recent Request for Information (RFI) seeks input from telecommunications providers and other stakeholders on how to eliminate cell phone dead zones.

In the latest episode of Kaatscast, DEP Commissioner Rohit “Rit” Aggarwala and Water Supply Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush join host Brett Barry for a discussion about the RFI; why a robust communications network is increasingly crucial; and how a network could be built to benefit everyone in the region.

Image: A winter scene at the Pepacton Reservoir. (Credit: NYC Watershed)