Rural Adirondack Broadband Customers Lose Service Over Pole Dispute
The company is under fire for its use of telephone poles without authorization.
May 20, 2026 – Remote broadband customers in upstate New York were left without internet access after the New York Public Service Commission ruled that Adirondack Broadband had improperly attached service lines to utility poles without authorization.
The PSC’s enforcement action affected between 75 and 100 customers last week, according to Adirondack Broadband founder Chuck Robertson. The company serves roughly 1,000 customers across five North Country counties, many in rural areas with limited broadband options.
At the center of the dispute is the industry’s “make-ready” process, the often lengthy and expensive procedure which must be completed before broadband providers attach infrastructure to utility poles.
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