Brightspeed, a North Carolina-based broadband and telecommunications services provider, will soon be offering high-speed Internet to nearly 50,000 homes and businesses in Adams, Cumberland and Perry counties.
“In today’s world, Pennsylvania residents cannot run a business without reliable internet. Strong internet is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity, crucial to successfully participating in our digital economy,” John Mizerak, Brightspeed government affairs director, said at a ribbon-cutting event at New Bloomfield Park. “Roughly five in ten Pennsylvania residents cannot purchase a fiber internet plan, and Brightspeed is committed to changing that by increasing availability, accessibility, and affordability of high-speed, high-quality fiber broadband.”
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) awarded the company a more than $780,000 in grant that will be used to augment its planned fiber network build by another 340 locations in Perry County.
Perry County is one of 11 Pennsylvania counties where more than half of tested broadband connections had internet speeds below 25/3 megabits per second. This is considered unserved.
During the ribbon-cutting event, Brightspeed donated $2,500 to Communities In Schools PA, a nonprofit organization that provides students with educational resources.
Brightspeed has assets and associated operations in 20 states, providing service to more than 6.5 million homes and businesses.