The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will begin disbursing $200 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding via the Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program.
The program’s goal is to boost broadband deployment to aid unserved and underserved communities. It was created in 2021 to serve as a single point of contact for those interested in building out the state’s broadband infrastructure and services.
Grants will be awarded between $500,000 and $10 million.
Eligible projects must guarantee to either meet or exceed 100 megabits per second (Mbps) for both download and upload speeds, or at least 100 Mbps download speeds and between 20 Mbps and 100 Mbps upload speeds.
Applicants will be selected based on several criteria including size and scope of the unserved or underserved area, ability to deliver service, whether the project proposes investments in fiber-optic infrastructure, and whether the project includes a sustainability strategy to maintain, repair and upgrade networks.
In addition, grant recipients must provide affordable services that include at least one low-cost option offered at speeds that are sufficient for a household with multiple users to simultaneously telework and conduct remote learning.
Applications will be accepted May 10 through July 10 online on the Department of Community and Economic Development Single Application for Assistance website.