NORWICH – Downtown Norwich officially entered the cyber age Thursday with the announcement of new, wireless technology available from Frontier, a part of the Citizens Communications Company.

The communications provider has made wireless broadband access to the Internet possible in the areas from Cortland and Mitchell streets south to York Street and from Locust Street east to Midland Drive, including the Chenango Memorial Hospital grounds. Residents and visitors in the coverage area can access the service at home, in the office and on the go.

The news was revealed at a press conference held yesterday at the Norwich Fire Station before an audience of city and state officials and members of the business community.

Mayor Joseph Maiurano said the development was an example of the city working with a local business in order to help keep Norwich competitive. “We are very excited to see the positive outcome. I want to personally thank Frontier for investing in Norwich,” he said.

Norwich native Clarence D. Rappelyea, longtime Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly and former chairman of the New York Power Authority, was on hand to congratulate the city and Frontier.

“A lot of people are ready to write the epitaph for upstate New York,” he said, “but it’s things like this that will keep that from ever happening ... I’m always being a pitchman for Chenango County, but we have something that a lot of people are going to want to get.”