MALONE — Franklin County and the Development Authority of the North Country will receive $2.4 million to help provide internet access to unserved locations after an announcement from the governor’s office Friday morning.

Franklin County’s project to improve internet access will reach more than 1,600 homes and businesses, including many of the hardest to reach unserved locations in the county, navigating around natural wetlands, areas with no utility service and areas that already have fiber optic infrastructure, according to a prepared statement from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.

“These awards mark the next step in our billion dollar effort to close New York’s digital divide,” Hochul said in a statement. “We are funding projects from Syracuse to Franklin County to strengthen our broadband infrastructure and bring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to more than 25,000 New York families.”

Franklin County will work with DANC to build 36 miles of open access fiber to the utility poles along the locations to be served, according to the governor’s office.

SLICFiber, a private internet service provider out of Nicholville, will connect the homes and businesses and there is capacity in the network to support additional providers, according to the governor’s office, which states the project will allow remote residents to access telehealth services and engage in remote work.

The governor’s office announced more than $70 million Friday through the ConnectALL municipal infrastructure grant program to connect more than 25,000 homes and businesses to high-speed broadband across the state through construction of over 800 miles of public broadband infrastructure.

“This is how we can close the digital divide in upstate New York. Broadband is not a luxury, it is a necessity, a utility as vital as electricity for success in our modern economy to ensure people can stay connected, have access to healthcare, jobs, and school,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY.

Friday’s funding is part of a $228 million federal investment through the U.S. Department of Treasury under the American Rescue Plan Act to build last-mile broadband Infrastructure in New York.

“Access to affordable, high-quality internet is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity for everyday life. New Yorkers rely daily on broadband to connect them with work opportunities, health care, education and much more,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY. “This funding will go directly toward bridging the digital divide and deliver high-speed internet to families across New York state.”