HARRISBURG – Sen. Greg Rothman (R-34), Reps. Torren Ecker (R-193), Barb Gleim (R-199), and Perry Stambaugh (R-86) announced today that $14.7 million in funding has been awarded to increase access to reliable, high-speed internet in areas they serve.
“Broadband access is critical to quality of life, economic growth, and safety,” Rothman said. “We are pleased that residents in underserved areas of our districts will finally receive the connectivity they deserve–and can depend on.”
Cumberland County projects by Comcast and Zito West Holding, LLC will receive $3,272,546 and $5,675,588 respectively. Perry County projects by Connect Holding II LLC d/b/a Brightspeed and Zito West Holding LLC will receive $782,163 and $4,995,375 respectively.
“Projects like these will help to ensure students in our rural areas have access to quality educational opportunities, residents have adequate levels of emergency services and businesses can grow and thrive in today’s economy,” Rothman said.
“I am grateful for this step forward in broadband access funding because every day that goes by and the technology gap continues, my constituents are losing business,” Gleim acknowledged.
“Perry County is among the 11 counties statewide where more than 50 percent of tested broadband connections were measured as ‘unserved,’ having Internet speeds below 25/3 Mbps,” said Stambaugh. “Better access to high-speed internet service will begin to bridge the rural-urban digital divide and bring world-class telecommunication services to our businesses, schools, and families.”
“Improving broadband in rural parts of the area goes beyond faster internet service. It also will lead to economic growth through improved infrastructure,” Ecker said.
Made feasible by the federally-funded Broadband Infrastructure Program, a total of $200 million in competitive grants was awarded to projects across the state lacking 25/3 Mbps internet service. Matching funds are required and stringent oversight and claw back provisions will require accountability.
This inaugural round of grants represents a significant milestone in the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s (PBDA) broader initiative to close the digital divide since the General Assembly established the PBDA in 2021.
CONTACT: Morgan Wagner