rural-broadband
‘The internet is no longer a luxury’: $667M from USDA for rural broadband
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend another $667 million on rural broadband loans and grants, the department said Monday, marking the fourth round of Biden administration funding under a program that the 2021 infrastructure law invigorated. Nearly three-quarters of the funding, $493 million, will go toward grants, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a […]
Experts: Pennsylvania missed identifying thousands of unserved internet areas
The Broadband Development Authority could cause the state to lose out on millions in federal funding by failing to identify broadband needs.
Pa. Broadband Authority seeks public input on community engagement
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, a 12-member independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), opened a two-week public comment period on Monday to gather feedback on how to engage communities in the process of developing two plans: the State Digital Equity Stakeholder Engagement Plan and the Commonwealth’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan.
Pa. broadband authority presents plan to improve high-speed internet access, infrastructure
The plan noted that approximately “2.6 million Pennsylvania residents in 1.3 million, or 26 percent of households—including 25 percent of Latino and 35 percent of Black American Households —either do not have access to or have not adopted high-speed broadband or may lack the skills to effectively use it.”
USDA to spend $500M extending high-speed internet to rural America
The current funding stream was targeted to upgrade existing infrastructure, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
Wolf: Pa. counties, cities to benefit from $14.2M in CARES Act grant money | Tuesday Morning Coffee
Projects ranging from broadband expansion in Fayette County to housing rehab in Lawrence County will benefit from the cash.
General Assembly sends Wolf bill creating new Pa. broadband authority
Areas that receive the funding must have download speeds of less than 100 megabits per- second, and upload speeds of 20 megabits per-second — a new, high standard championed by lawmakers in Washington D.C.
Report: States, incl. Pa., take varied approaches to broadband funding | Wednesday Morning Coffee
Most state broadband expansion programs emphasize unserved areas, but eligibility, funding requirements, and accountability measures vary, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Is your state ready to handle the influx of federal funds for expanding broadband? | Opinion
Digital equity means ensuring that every community has adequate access to the technologies and skills needed to fully participate in society.
New law could expand 5G’s reach in Pa.
At least 25 states have approved legislation smoothing a path for 5G technology, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
SWPA lawmaker’s bill would create new Pa. broadband authority, expand access | Monday Morning Coffee
With millions of Pa. residents working and learning from home 'all Pennsylvanians need affordable access to high-speed broadband internet,' Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Fayette, says.
FCC broadband program brings SpaceX, other telecommunications companies to Pa.
The auction, part of the first phase of the project, allocated $9.2 billion to telecommunications companies in 49 states and the Northern Mariana Islands.