On Friday, the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) announced it had approved $204 million in Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) grant awards for projects across the state.
The investment will connect 40,000 homes and businesses in 42 counties, PBDA Executive Director Brandon Carson said. The 53 projects awarded were for businesses and non-profits and will be matched by more than $200 million in private investment. The combined $400 investment will help expand broadband in unserved and underserved areas of the Commonwealth that currently has no service or poor service.
“The PBDA has worked hard to ensure Pennsylvania receives the funding we need to address access and connectivity issues impacting communities across the Commonwealth – and today’s allocation of $204 million in awards is a significant step forward in getting more Pennsylvanians connected to high-speed, affordable internet,” Carson said. “As Pennsylvanians increasingly rely on broadband to live healthy and productive lives, expanding access to the internet is essential to creating opportunity for folks all across our Commonwealth. These projects will leverage historic federal funding and private investment to connect communities to the internet – and the PBDA will continue working to make this a reality for even more Pennsylvanians.”
Grants were awarded to projects that were evaluated based on the size and scope of the unserved or underserved community that would be affected, the experience and ability of the applicant, the affordability standards that include a low-cost option, the ability to support the state’s workforce and the projects plan to ensure high adoption rates once completed.
Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) applauded the awards, including the $1.8 million heading to Southern Lancaster County.
“Southern Lancaster County is in desperate need of additional broadband deployment. Not having access to the same high-speed internet found in most areas across Pennsylvania holds our students, employers and municipalities back in an age that is almost entirely dependent on the internet,” Cutler said. “This funding will help fund additional broadband deployment throughout Southern Lancaster County and get more areas connected to high-speed internet access as quickly as possible.”
The grants were funded through the federal Capital Projects Fund.