Over the past decade, Warren County has made tremendous progress in expanding broadband access.

Over the past decade, Warren County has quietly undergone one of the most significant infrastructure transformations in its history.
Broadband availability has grown from roughly 80% of locations to approximately 96% today, supported by substantial public and private investment in fiber, wireless, and last-mile connectivity. Thousands of new fiber passings have been added across the region, helping connect residents, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and communities that once faced limited options.
But as a recent article by Brad Broadwell of ECC Technologies points out, the conversation is evolving.
The next challenge is not simply building broadband infrastructure. It is making the most productive use of it.
New research from the Center on Rural Innovation suggests that communities with higher broadband utilization experience stronger business formation, entrepreneurship, income growth, and economic dynamism. In other words, access is only the first step.
For economic developers, that means the future conversation is increasingly about how connectivity supports:
• Entrepreneurship and small business growth
• Remote work and workforce participation
• Innovation and technology adoption
• Education and skills development
• Community competitiveness
Broadband is no longer simply a utility. It is economic infrastructure.
The communities that thrive in the years ahead may not be the ones that build the most infrastructure. They may be the ones that create the most opportunity from the infrastructure they already have.
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Glens Falls Aerial view – photographer Spencer Bray