U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) announced that Pennsylvania is receiving $1,161,778,272 from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand high-speed internet access across Pennsylvania. This funding, part of President Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative, brings Pennsylvania’s total in federal funding under the Biden Administration for high-speed internet to $1,776,854,539.
“High-speed internet is a necessity today and without it, Pennsylvanians are left at a disadvantage. Our rural communities are particularly impacted by a lack of reliable, high-speed internet access.,” Senator Casey said. “This record-setting investment from the infrastructure law will help ensure Pennsylvania students have every opportunity to learn, families to stay connected, and small businesses stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.”
“Nowadays, reliable, broadband internet access is almost as fundamental as electricity or running water. We can’t let our rural and other underserved communities get left behind due to lack of broadband access,” Senator Fetterman said. “This funding is a big deal and will help deliver more broadband for all people, in rural and urban areas, so that everyone has equitable access to stable high-speed internet at home.”
“For too long, lack of high-speed internet access has been a barrier to success for so many Pennsylvanians. Affordable, quality internet is no longer a luxury and residents across Pennsylvania need it to access telehealth, school, and career opportunities,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said. “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Casey and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are making a historic investment of over $1.1 billion to connect every Pennsylvania family.”
This funding comes from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The BEAD program allocates funding directly to the states to bring affordable and reliable high-speed internet to high-cost, unserved and underserved communities. The funding will go to the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and Microsoft Start.