AVF project: Rural areas have been plagued by poor cellular connections and a lack of investment by wireless telecommunication companies. This project aims to use affordable Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology to create a testbed in Tompkins County with 100% coverage and through 30 Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) offices across New York State that will be equipped with LPWAN-based electricity and water metering. This statewide, public “Internet of Things” infrastructure will bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas, spur new economic activities and be a game-changer for sustainability.

The supplemental grant funds six undergraduate students who will work with the CCE offices to identify where to install LPWAN-based meters, develop inventories, gather feedback and help envision what services a statewide, public “Internet of Things” can provide for counties in New York state.