In the Pennsylvania Broadband Funding, Verizon, Comcast, Frontier, Windstream, and other broadband network providers were awarded a total of $204 million.
Among the 12 providers, Verizon received the highest amount, $78.3 million. Comcast, Windstream, Frontier, and Brightspeed were other major network providers awarded funding.
Comcast received around $61.7 million, Windstream received about $12 million, Frontier was awarded about $3.5 million, and Brightspeed received $782,000.
In addition, Armstrong Telecommunications, which operates in 6 states, has been awarded about $12.5 million.
The complete list of the providers that were awarded include:
- Adams CATV
- Alleghenies Broadband
- Armstrong Telecommunications
- Blue Ridge Communications
- Brightspeed
- Claverack Communications
- Comcast
- Frontier
- Upward Broadband
- Verizon
- Windstream
- Zito
The Pennsylvania Broadband funding was made by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) through the Broadband Infrastructure Program.
This program was funded through the federal Capital Projects Fund, which had a total of $205 million, out of which $204 million was used for the awards.
This award of Broadband funding will aid providers in service deployment in around 40,000 unserved and underserved locations.
The project will cost around $407 million, with the awarded funding intended to cover roughly half of the total cost. The providers will spend the rest of the cost.
A significant aspect of the initiative is that it encourages the use of fiber-optic technology to ensure reliable and fast internet speeds, with projects needing to deliver symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Megabits per second.
“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,” said PBDA Executive Director Brandon Carson in a prepared statement.
Todd Eachus, president of the Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania (BCAP), issued a separate statement, expressing a commitment to collaborate closely with both its members and PBDA.
The aim is to facilitate the project’s successful completion and promptly resolve any challenges that may arise.
Notably, four BCAP members, namely Adams Cable, Armstrong Telecommunications, Blue Ridge Communication, and Comcast, have secured funding for the initiative.
“We also call on project partners – pole owners, railroad companies, and local governments – to work with all grantees and ensure the projects move as expeditiously as possible,” said Eachus.
In addition to immediate access, infrastructure improvements are expected to support future technologies and help attract new businesses to the area, boosting the local economy.
Subscribe to Email Updates :
Add Comment