Keystone Today

Single largest federal investment in broadband internet infrastructure in Pennsylvania history 

Washington, D.C. – On June 26, 2023, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) announced that Pennsylvania is receiving $1,161,778,272 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand high-speed internet access across Pennsylvania.This funding, part of President Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative, brings Pennsylvania’s total of federal funding under the Biden Administration for high-speed internet to $1,776,854,539.

“High-speed internet is a necessity today and without it, Pennsylvanians are left at a disadvantage. Our rural communities are particularly impacted by a lack of reliable, high-speed internet access.,” Senator Casey said. “This record-setting investment from the infrastructure law will help ensure Pennsylvania students have every opportunity to learn, families to stay connected, and small businesses stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.”

“Nowadays, reliable, broadband internet access is almost as fundamental as electricity or running water. We can’t let our rural and other underserved communities get left behind due to lack of broadband access,” Senator Fetterman said. “This funding is a big deal and will help deliver more broadband for all people, in rural and urban areas, so that everyone has equitable access to stable high-speed internet at home.”

“For too long, lack of high-speed internet access has been a barrier to success for so many Pennsylvanians. Affordable, quality internet is no longer a luxury and residents across Pennsylvania need it to access telehealth, school, and career opportunities,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said. “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Casey and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are making a historic investment of over $1.1 billion to connect every Pennsylvania family.”

This funding comes from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.The BEAD program allocates funding directly to the states to bring affordable and reliable high-speed internet to high-cost, unserved and underserved communities. The funding will go to the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority.

Senator Casey has long fought to bring high-speed internet funding to the Commonwealth. In April, Casey announced a $200 million investment from the American Rescue Plan to expand internet access to 44,000 Pennsylvania homes and business, particularly in rural communities. Casey and Fetterman are also fighting for more federal investments, including sending a letter last week to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson urging the Biden Administration to give Pennsylvania the highest priority for grants from the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program to combat the lack of universal high-speed internet access.

Original source can be found here.