Two very different builds moved forward in upstate New York over the past month. Orleans County says its county-owned wireless broadband network is now live at 14 of 21 planned sites, and GoNetspeed has committed $10 million to bring fiber to more than 8,700 homes and businesses in the city of Amsterdam.
Orleans County: a public wireless network two-thirds built
In an update published 05-Oct-2026, Orleans County reported that construction is complete on 14 of the 21 sites in its countywide fixed wireless network, with sites in and around Medina, Albion, Lyndonville, Shelby, Ridgeway, Gaines, Carlton and Kendall. The remaining seven sites are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026.
The network is owned by the county and paid for with an $11.56 million grant from New York State’s ConnectALL Municipal Infrastructure Program. The 21 sites are a mix of 15 existing towers (seven of them county-owned), three new towers and three grain elevators on local farms. Service is sold by North Shore Networks, a Medina-based provider founded in 2022, which advertises speeds of 500 Mbps and higher with no contracts and no data caps. The county is also pairing the build with digital-skills help through the nonprofit Orleans Community Connects and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Amsterdam: GoNetspeed fiber planned for 2027
On 09-Sep-2026, GoNetspeed announced a privately funded $10 million fiber build in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, covering more than 8,700 homes and businesses with symmetrical speeds of up to 6 Gbps. Construction is slated to begin this winter, and the company says the first customers could connect as early as spring 2027.
Speaking to The Daily Gazette, GoNetspeed’s operations lead described Amsterdam as a market that had been “left behind,” and Mayor Michael Cinquanti welcomed the investment. The paper reported starting prices of $59.99 a month for 500 Mbps and $69.99 for 1 Gig, and noted that today’s wired option in the city is Spectrum cable, with Starlink as the satellite alternative.
What this means if you live in New York
If you are in Orleans County, check whether your address is near one of the 14 finished sites. Fixed wireless performance depends on line of sight to a tower, so ask North Shore Networks what speed your specific location can actually get before you cancel anything. If your area depends on one of the seven sites still under construction, the end-of-2026 target is a construction goal, not a guaranteed service date.
In Amsterdam, nothing changes yet. Fiber is unlikely before spring 2027 at the earliest, so Spectrum, Starlink and T-Mobile home internet remain the realistic choices for now. A new fiber competitor arriving can be a good moment to ask your current provider about a better rate, but don’t sign a long promotional contract expecting to switch on a specific date.
Sources
- Orleans Hub — County says wireless broadband network nearing completion (05-Oct-2026)
- GoNetspeed via GlobeNewswire — GoNetspeed Slates City of Amsterdam as Next to Join Growing New York Fiber Network (09-Sep-2026)
- The Daily Gazette / The Recorder — GoNetspeed investing $10 million to bring fiber internet to Amsterdam (10-Sep-2026)