Keystone Today

Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) met with U.S. Department of Commerce Under Secretary Jed Kolko at Marion-Walker Elementary in Centre County last week to discuss the $45 billion federal initiative called Internet for All, which includes more than $100 million in funding to help bring broadband to Pennsylvanians everywhere.

According to a May 18 release by Wolf, the initiative was created by the Biden-Harris Administration and will provide affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for all Americans by the end of the decade. This is through three programs for building internet infrastructure, teaching digital skills and providing the right technology to make sure everyone has full access. The funds are made possible through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program.

“Lack of broadband hurts Pennsylvanians far and wide—urban and rural . Our lack of consistent, affordable broadband keeps children from learning effectively, businesses from growing, limits job opportunities, and reduces medical care options,” said Wolf. “But soon this will all be history—that we can read online—thanks to the Biden Administration’s continued commitment to improved infrastructure for our combined success.”

Wolf and the Pennsylvania General Assembly created the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority in a bipartisan effort to prepare for the funding and deployment. This was signed into law in December 2021. It was noted that there will be hundreds of millions of dollars in formula funding through the Federal Communications Commission for coverage maps in the future.

“President Biden’s Internet for All funding is a game-changer for the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who currently lack high-speed internet access,” said Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “This investment means that families can get connected, kids can do their homework and businesses can grow and thrive. This is the infrastructure law in action, and it’s only the beginning of the hundreds of millions of dollars coming to the commonwealth to better connect Pennsylvanians to the world.”

In 2018, the Wolf Administration launched the $35 million Pennsylvania Broadband Investment Incentive Program as part of Wolf’s effort to address the need for broadband statewide. In 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development launched the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program to deploy high speed broadband to unserved areas using $10 million in state funds. At least a half-a-million residents in Pennsylvania are without broadband access.

The release noted that the lack of reliable broadband across the state was made worse due to the pandemic when virtual learning and remote work were necessary for many across the state. Rural areas are vulnerable but other areas outside of the large Pennsylvania cities have also struggled with access to affordable broadband internet.

“For more than 20 years, we’ve been talking about closing the digital divide in America. Now we finally have a chance to do it,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “Together, we can make sure that everyone in Pennsylvania has access to the affordable high-speed internet service they need to succeed in the 21st century economy. I’m grateful to Governor Wolf and all the community leaders working to make this dream a reality for Pennsylvanians.”