Slic Network Solutions lineman crew (John Halpin in the bucket, Bruce Donnelly on the pole, and Ryan Liscum and Ron Flannery on the ground) get ready to install fiber optic cable along Rt. 11B in Nicholville. The construction is part of Slic’s $33 million USDA Broadband Initiative Program stimulus award for building fiber optics in rural areas of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. The project will provide broadband internet connectivity to over 5,000 homes, businesses and community centers throughout the North Country.