Gov. Tom Wolf recently signed into law a bill that will expand broadband access into rural communities.
Act 132 of 2020 establishes the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program. The Commonwealth Financing Authority will administer the program and provide grants to eligible applicants who can operate broadband services through wireline or fixed wireless technology.
The repeal of the $5 million Mobile Telecommunications Broadband Investment Tax Credit will fund the program and an additional $5 million in state or federal funds.
Eligible applicants must provide at least 25 percent of a project’s funding, excluding loans, subsidies, or state or local grants.
Priority will be given to projects that already have federal funding allocated to them or are in unserved areas. Unserved areas are defined by U.S. Federal Communications Commission minimum speed requirements.
Any project resulting in an overbuild or managed or operated by a government entity is ineligible. Areas already serviced by high-speed broadband is considered an overbuild.
Earlier this year, Act 98 of 2020 created a method for using existing infrastructure and easements held by rural electric cooperatives to expand broadband access. These methods can be used by cable companies, electric cooperatives, and other companies that want to run broadband cable.