What Pennsylvania Leaders Are Saying About Governor Shapiro’s Work to Expand Pennsylvanians’ Access to Reliable High-Speed Internet
“Too many families, farms, and small businesses across rural Pennsylvania have waited years for internet they can count on. This BEAD award helps change that.” – Jordan Drexel, President, Upward Broadband
“Reliable high-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s fundamental economic infrastructure.” – Greg Scott, President & CEO, Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County
“This investment deliver[s] the infrastructure needed to offer affordable, dependable broadband that supports economic growth and opportunity.” – Thomas C. Thompson, III, Executive Director, Central Bradford Progress Authority
A full list of the new awards is available here – and Pennsylvanians waiting to be connected to the internet can see when PBDA expects to connect their location by visiting pa.gov/ConnectPA.
Bellefonte, PA – Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) Executive Director Brandon Carson visited Bald Eagle High School to announce more than $448 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants have been awarded to projects in 50 counties across the Commonwealth to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet to 71,000 homes and businesses.
Once complete, local businesses will gain increased access to customers and markets, workers will have expanded access to employment and training opportunities, and farmers will be given increased access to modern precision-ag technologies. This expansion will ensure students, health clinics, and families have the connectivity they need to succeed, and by 2030, universal internet access will be available throughout the Commonwealth.
The Governor also announced the creation of a new website allowing Pennsylvanians who do not yet have access to high-speed internet to track when PBDA estimates they’ll receive a connection here. That website is available at pa.gov/ConnectPA.
As a result of the Shapiro Administration’s work to drive out funding quickly and effectively, the number of households that lack access to high-speed internet has decreased by nearly 60 percent across the Commonwealth, down from more than 330,000 households in 2022 to less than 133,000 today.
A full list of the newly announced BEAD awards is available here.
Here’s what elected, industry, labor, and community leaders across Pennsylvania are saying about the Governor and PBDA’s announcement:
Keyvan Sangelaji, Managing Director, IBT Broadband: “We are proud to partner with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in this important effort to expand broadband access across the state. Through these BEAD awards, IBT Broadband will bring high-speed internet to more than 15,000 unserved and underserved locations across 11 counties, creating new opportunities for families, businesses, and communities. We recognize the importance of getting these communities connected as soon as possible, and our team is committed to deploying the network efficiently and on an accelerated schedule, with the goal of completing the work well ahead of the contractual timeline. We look forward to putting our experience and resources to work and delivering reliable, high-quality broadband infrastructure that will serve these Pennsylvania communities for years to come.”
Dustin Bishop- Project Manager of Alleghenies Broadband, Inc. (ABI): “Alleghenies Broadband, Inc. (ABI) greatly appreciates the commitment of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority and its federal partners to oversee crucial broadband investments in unserved and underserved communities throughout Pennsylvania. As the need for reliable, high-speed internet access continues to grow, these federal and state investments are increasingly important to ensuring that residents and businesses have the connectivity they need to thrive. ABI is excited to partner with A2D on what we believe represents one of the most significant investments in broadband infrastructure ever made in the Southern Alleghenies region of Pennsylvania. As a non-profit organization, ABI will prioritize local outreach, public engagement, and community events throughout the project to keep residents informed throughout the duration of the project and beyond.”
Thomas C. Thompson, III, Executive Director, Central Bradford Progress Authority: “Residents in the Northern Tier of the Commonwealth have long lacked reliable, high-speed internet needed to work, learn, run businesses, and access healthcare. This investment through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority marks a critical step toward closing that gap by delivering the infrastructure needed to offer affordable, dependable broadband that supports economic growth and opportunity, along with adding vital support to our region’s public safety network. Connecting unserved and underserved areas has been a complex and challenging process requiring significant effort and ingenuity, and the CBPA is proud to expand its footprint in ways that once seemed unimaginable – bringing the opportunity for reliable, high-speed connectivity to rural communities across the region.”
Jeanne Shearer, Government Affairs Manager, Brightspeed: “We’re proud to partner with the Commonwealth to bring fast, reliable connectivity to more unserved and underserved communities across Pennsylvania. At Brightspeed, we know connectivity is about more than technology. It’s about connecting people to the opportunities and resources that matter in their everyday lives. Investments like these can help strengthen communities and create lasting opportunities, particularly in areas where access to high-speed internet has historically been limited. We appreciate the Commonwealth’s leadership in expanding high-speed internet access and look forward to doing our part through these projects to bring reliable, high-quality broadband to these communities.”
Tom McKinley, CEO, CoreConnect: “CoreConnect will give rural Northwest Pennsylvania the broadband infrastructure to compete, attract investment, and stem population loss by delivering the connectivity and healthcare access our communities need to thrive. Its open-access network will help local businesses expand and recruit talent, while serving as the vital digital foundation for the PA Rural Health Transformation Program through expanded telehealth and faster emergency response. As a regional nonprofit, we are partnering across sectors to translate this $90.7 million BEAD investment into lasting opportunity—ensuring our families and young people no longer have to leave Northwest PA to build their futures.”
Jordan Drexel, President, Upward Broadband: “Too many families, farms, and small businesses across rural Pennsylvania have waited years for internet they can count on. This BEAD award helps change that. We’re grateful to everyone at the state and federal level who worked to bring this program to the Commonwealth, and we’re ready to get to work building a network designed for the communities that need it the most. Our goal at Upward Broadband is simple: provide a reliable, hassle-free, high-speed connection that lets people run their farms, grow their businesses, and help their kids with homework without wondering whether the internet will hold up.”
Tony Lewis, Vice President, Public Policy, Verizon: “Verizon is proud to serve customers and communities across Pennsylvania by partnering with local leaders to expand broadband statewide. We know access to broadband is critical for advancing educational opportunities and the difference it can make for students’ futures. Working directly with Gov. Shapiro, Secretary Siger, and Executive Director Brandon Carson made this possible and we’re thankful for their diligence in helping us achieve this.”
Superintendent Chris Santini, Bald Eagle Area School District: “We were honored to welcome Governor Shapiro to Bald Eagle Area and to be part of an announcement that will have a meaningful impact on our students, families, and communities across Centre County. Reliable, high-speed internet is essential for our students and schools, and this investment will help ensure more students have the connectivity they need to learn, succeed and access opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. We appreciate the Governor’s continued support for public education and for making investments that strengthen our communities.”
Katie Kingera, Counselor, Bald Eagle High School: “As a high school counselor in a rural district, I see firsthand how reliable broadband can impact our students. I’ve worked with students who use a parent’s cell phone as a hotspot just to access assignments and complete their schoolwork, or rush to finish homework during study halls because they may not have reliable internet at home. For rural students, broadband means access to education, college applications, career opportunities and resources beyond our community. Every student deserves to be judged by their effort, abilities and potential — not by whether their family has reliable internet access.”
Steve Kuncelman, Assistant Safety and Training Director, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 126: “These investments aren’t just helping close the digital divide. They’re also creating quality career opportunities for Pennsylvania workers, creating good-paying jobs, building strong careers, and opening new apprenticeship opportunities for workers to build the infrastructure that our communities need. We’re proud to play a part in connecting Pennsylvanians with reliable high-speed internet.”
Greg Scott, President & CEO, Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County: “Reliable high-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore; it’s fundamental economic infrastructure. For Centre County, expanding broadband means more of our residents can participate in the economy, more businesses can grow wherever they’re located, and more of our communities can compete for jobs and investment. This is exactly the kind of infrastructure investment that strengthens our entire county.”
Chair Mark Higgins, Centre County Commissioner: “The Centre County Commissioners sponsored a broadband study in 2021 that demonstrated the clear need for greater broadband accessibility across the county. At that time, more than 8,000 addresses in Centre County lacked access to broadband internet. The Commissioners thank the Governor, our state elected officials, and the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority for their partnership in helping close the broadband accessibility gap.”
Representative Rob Matzie, PA’s 16th House District: “As I’ve said often, access to fast, reliable internet isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. This first round of BEAD funding is the culmination of several years of efforts, of which I’ve been honored to have been deeply involved with since the creation of the PA Broadband Development Authority itself. Through every stage of this long process, the overriding goal remained simple – to close the technology divide in our Commonwealth. This is a giant step forward in fulfilling that goal.”
Representative Paul Takac, PA’s 82nd House District: “The lack of high speed internet isolates individuals and communities, especially in an increasingly interconnected world. Simple, everyday tasks that many of us take for granted – like searching the web or buying something online – can be a serious challenge in those communities. But the lack of high speed internet is not just a quality of life issue, it is also a significant economic development issue – limiting connectivity for local businesses, restricting learning opportunities, and even preventing certain healthcare options, such as tele health. And when combined with limited cell phone service and coverage, it can also be a serious barrier for public safety. That is why today’s announcement of the first round of funding is so important and exciting for rural and underserved communities here in Centre County and across the Commonwealth.”
Here’s what Pennsylvanians are reading and watching about Governor Shapiro and PBDA’s newly awarded BEAD funding:
WJAC: Gov. Shapiro unveils statewide broadband expansion program to help ‘close digital divide’
The Sentinel: Shapiro administration to announce major broadband investment
North Central PA: Shapiro visits Bellfonte school celebrating broadband grants
PennWatch: More Than $448 Million in Funding to Expand Access to High-Speed Internet in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvanians who do not yet have access to high-speed internet can track when PBDA estimates they’ll receive a connection here.
Visit the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s website to learn more about its work to close the digital divide in the Commonwealth.
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