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Holiday Open House Turns Festive Gala into Broadband Celebration

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  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/12/24 .. rns-festive-gala-into-broadband-celebration.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Wednesday, December 24th 2025 at 5:50 GMT by fingerlakes1

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FLX Chamber Holiday Open House Celebrates Broadband Growth
Finger Lakes Region – December 24, 2025

The Finger Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s flagship “Holiday Open House” returned this past Christmas Eve with a festive twist: a celebration of the region’s most transformative infrastructure upgrade in recent memory—broadband expansion. The event, hosted at the historic Finger Lakes Community Center on the 24th of December, drew a cross‑section of local business leaders, municipal officials, telecom executives, and tech‑savvy residents eager to toast a new era of connectivity.

A Holiday Gathering with a Forward‑Looking Focus

While the Chamber’s annual holiday open house has long been a staple of the local calendar—featuring holiday music, refreshments, and an opportunity for networking—the 2025 edition distinguished itself by positioning broadband as the central theme. The opening ceremony began with a brief slideshow that juxtaposed the Finger Lakes’ past as a predominantly rural, agrarian region with a series of images depicting fiber‑optic cables, high‑speed Wi‑Fi routers, and entrepreneurs working remotely from their homes. The visual narrative set the tone: broadband is no longer a luxury; it is the lifeline that sustains businesses, educates children, and connects residents to the rest of the world.

The chamber’s president, Maria Gonzalez, opened the event with a heartfelt welcome. “Broadband isn’t just a commodity; it’s a catalyst for community resilience,” she said. “From the first high‑speed connection in our county to today’s gigabit‑ready homes, we’ve seen the Finger Lakes evolve, and this holiday open house is a tribute to that progress.”

Keynote Addresses Highlight Economic Impact

The program featured several keynote speakers, each underscoring different facets of broadband’s influence:

1. Dr. Samuel Patel, State Department of Technology – Dr. Patel delivered a data‑rich overview of the state’s broadband initiatives, citing a 40 % increase in gigabit service availability across the Finger Lakes over the past five years. He also highlighted the federal “Rural Digital Opportunity Fund” grants that helped fund last‑mile fiber projects in upstate New York.

2. Mayor Lisa Hart of Trumansburg – Mayor Hart shared anecdotes about how the new fiber infrastructure enabled local schools to adopt remote learning platforms during the pandemic and how the city’s emergency services benefited from faster, more reliable communication systems. She emphasized the city’s partnership with the Chamber to secure municipal broadband hubs.

3. Kevin Lee, CEO of Lakeside Telecom – Kevin Lee provided an insider view of the technical challenges and innovations involved in deploying fiber through rugged terrain. He also spoke about future plans, such as expanding 5G networks to cover remote hamlets that were previously underserved.

4. Sofia Ramirez, Founder of “AgriTech Startups” – Ramirez offered a grassroots perspective, illustrating how farmers in the region now run precision‑agriculture tools—drones, sensors, and real‑time weather monitoring—powered by high‑speed internet. Her presentation highlighted the economic ripple effect, including increased crop yields and higher local employment.

Interactive Exhibits and Community Engagement

The open house was not merely a series of speeches. The Chamber set up several interactive stations for visitors to experience the practical benefits of broadband firsthand:

• 4K Streaming Test – Guests could stream a live 4K feed of the Finger Lakes’ scenic lakeside trails, experiencing bandwidth speeds that were once the preserve of corporate headquarters.

• Telehealth Demo – A virtual health consultation was conducted with a local doctor, showcasing how broadband enables high‑definition video visits, especially important for the region’s aging population.

• Virtual Reality (VR) Farm Tours – A VR station allowed participants to walk through a simulated greenhouse, a tool increasingly used by local agribusinesses to monitor plant health remotely.

• Digital Literacy Booth – Hosted by the Finger Lakes Literacy Council, this booth offered free tutorials on using cloud services, cybersecurity basics, and digital payment platforms—skills that have become essential for businesses of all sizes.

These hands‑on experiences reinforced the Chamber’s core message: broadband is an enabler that empowers individuals, small businesses, and entire communities.

Economic Development and the “Broadband Dividend”

The article delved into the tangible economic benefits the region has reaped since the rollout of high‑speed internet. According to a Chamber‑sponsored report referenced during the event, broadband has:

• Boosted Small‑Business Revenues: 65 % of surveyed local entrepreneurs reported an increase in revenue since connecting to fiber, citing enhanced e‑commerce capabilities and remote customer service options.

• Attracted New Companies: 12 tech‑centric startups announced office openings in the Finger Lakes, citing the region’s competitive broadband rates and the attractive rural lifestyle.

• Enhanced Educational Outcomes: Schools reporting that broadband improved students’ ability to complete research projects, participate in virtual exchanges, and gain proficiency in digital literacy.

• Reduced Rural Isolation: The expansion of high‑speed internet facilitated remote work, allowing residents to accept jobs in metropolitan hubs without relocating, thereby curbing rural depopulation trends.

The Chamber’s data, linked in the original article, presented a clear “Broadband Dividend” model: for every $1 invested in fiber, the region earned approximately $3.50 in economic output. This ROI has spurred further public and private investment, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.

Celebratory Moments and Future Vision

The evening’s highlight—a ribbon‑cutting ceremony—honored the newly completed fiber corridor stretching from the small town of Ithaca to the remote hamlet of New Haven. The ribbon was cut by a joint delegation of the Chamber president, the mayor, and a representative from the state Department of Technology. The symbolic act underscored the collaborative nature of the project, involving local municipalities, state agencies, and private telecom firms.

During the closing remarks, Maria Gonzalez spoke of the Chamber’s future initiatives: a “Digital Skills Training” program for youth, a partnership with the Finger Lakes Community College to offer online courses, and lobbying efforts for more federal broadband grants. She concluded with a toast: “To the Finger Lakes, to connectivity, and to a future where every resident can tap into the world’s information—cheers!”

Additional Resources

The original article provided several hyperlinks for readers wishing to dive deeper:

1. Finger Lakes Broadband Expansion Initiative – Offers a detailed map of current fiber coverage, pending projects, and application processes for businesses seeking connectivity.

2. FLX Chamber Membership Benefits – Outlines the Chamber’s advocacy role, networking opportunities, and educational programs tailored to broadband adoption.

3. State Rural Digital Opportunity Fund – Details eligibility criteria, grant application deadlines, and success stories from other regions.

4. Local Economic Impact Studies – Publishes periodic analyses of broadband’s influence on local GDP, employment rates, and business growth.

Bottom Line

The 2025 FLX Chamber Holiday Open House served as both a festive celebration and a strategic rallying point for the Finger Lakes’ ongoing broadband journey. By weaving together speeches, interactive demos, and community stories, the Chamber illustrated how high‑speed internet has become a linchpin of economic resilience, social connectivity, and regional pride. As the Chamber and its partners continue to expand and refine the region’s digital infrastructure, the Finger Lakes are poised to thrive in a world where information flows as freely as the water that nourishes its valleys.