Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger visited the Union City Senior Center Tuesday to highlight the Shapiro Administration’s plans to expand broadband access across the Commonwealth through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. As part of President Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative, Governor Shapiro announced the Commonwealth will receive $1.16 billion through the federal BEAD Program to expand broadband infrastructure for communities lacking reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access.
“Pennsylvania seniors deserve to age with dignity – and an important part of that process is expanding their access to reliable and affordable broadband to ensure that they can connect to the online resources they need to live healthy lives,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Erie and Warren counties are not alone in this struggle, and my Administration has a plan to put Pennsylvania at the forefront of expanding broadband access and lowering costs for communities just like this one – all across the Commonwealth.”
The Shapiro Administration says that across Pennsylvania, 276,000 households do not have access to the internet while another 52,000 do not have reliable access. In Erie and Warren counties, more than 5,000 locations and 7,500 locations are currently unserved or underserved, respectively.
The $1.16 billion in BEAD funding to the Commonwealth will be administered by the PBDA – an independent, bipartisan agency created by law in December 2021. The PBDA is in the process of creating a five-year action plan that will expand broadband access across Pennsylvania.
“Connecting Pennsylvanians to high-speed, reliable internet access is critical for bringing our economy and infrastructure into the 21st century, especially for unserved and underserved communities” said Secretary Rick Siger. “The Shapiro Administration has worked hard to secure this federal funding to connect Pennsylvania communities who need access the most – and under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, we will address the longstanding connectivity issues to bring reliable internet at high speeds and affordable prices to every corner of our Commonwealth.”
The Shapiro Administration says that Pennsylvania has received more than $1.5 billion in federal funding allocations for its broadband efforts to date. In addition to the BEAD funding, Pennsylvania also received $279 million in funding through the Capital Projects Fund and $6.6 million in federal planning funds in 2022.
More information is available on the PBDA’s website.
