Wireless Watershed 📶 NYC's Initiative to Connect the Catskills

In a new effort to enhance communications in the Catskills, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/index.page) (DEP) is partnering with New York's ConnectALL (https://broadband.ny.gov) 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 this episode, 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.


To put the complicated NYC/Catskills relationship into context, we check in with Lize Mogel––producer of the podcast series, Views from the Watershed (https://www.walkingthewatershed.com/p...) ––for a fascinating historical perspective.


We also hear from local Town Clerk Joyce Grant (https://www.shandaken.us) , whose anecdotal evidence illustrates just how dangerous cellular dead zones can be in the remote Catskills, where land lines and cable internet can also be scarce. Grant is frustrated by what she characterizes as a minority of residents who are opposed to cell towers marring the mountain landscape.


Referring to a proposal for a tower to be built in Shandaken, she says, "It's going to be a pole that's 85 feet tall, and it may be viewable above the trees... but it's a pole... that could save lives. We have to look at it like that."


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?






00:00 Intro


00:26 NYC DEP's Wireless Communication Initiative


01:44 Joyce Grant's Pursuit for Better Communication


07:17 Challenges of Cell Service in the Catskills


10:34 Community Efforts and Future Plans


15:12 The Catskills and NYC Water Connection


16:15 The "Takings" and Eminent Domain


19:06 The 1990s MOA and Water Quality


23:29 Controversial Land Acquisition Program


24:24 City's Land Ownership and Broadband Infrastructure


24:56 New York City's Evolving Relationship with the Catskills


25:37 DEP's Land Purchase Strategy


27:46 Recreation and Utility Easements on City Land


29:11 Challenges and Opportunities for Broadband Expansion


32:06 Future of Wireless Communications in the Catskills


34:41 Funding and Implementation of Broadband Project


36:22 Historical Context and Technological Evolution


38:50 Public Engagement and Relationship Building


43:42 Climate Change and Water Supply


45:36 Personal Reflections and Memories of the Catskills


49:37 Conclusion and Podcast Information