Centre County gets $2.3 million to expand high-speed broadband. Here are the 3 projects
Expansion of high-speed broadband internet deployment in unserved communities in Centre County, such as Rush, Liberty, Curtin and Potter townships, just got a boost from three grants.
The grants will support installation of more than 50 miles of fiberoptic cable to support high-speed coverage in these communities, according to a press release from the office of state Senator Jake Corman, R-Benner Township.
Two grants totaling more than $1.2 million through the state’s Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program will expand Comcast Cable coverage in Rush, Liberty and Curtin townships, the release stated.
The Rush Township project will include up to 147 potential service connections, according to a press release from Corman’s office. The Liberty and Curtin township grant will serve an additional 160 households and 17 businesses.
“Broadband coverage is a key tool in improving the health, safety, education and economy of a community,” Corman said. “Expanding coverage in these areas is exactly what was envisioned when this program was created in 2020.”
An additional grant of more than $975,000 will support broadband coverage by Centre WISP Venture Company in Potter Township. Centre WISP, a State College-based company, will use the funding to expand its high-speed broadband network to include 291 potential service connections by installing a total of 21.6 miles of fiberoptic cable, a release from Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, stated. It will serve 277 residential and 14 business properties. It will provide speeds of at least of 250 Mbps download and 250 Mbps upload, and maximum speeds of 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, the release stated.
“In today’s world, high-speed internet is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Benninghoff said. “Access to high-speed broadband means access to education for our young people, health care for those without transportation and commerce for small businesses. I am proud to bring tax dollars back to our community where they will be used to provide this modern necessity to those who need it.”
The Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program was created by lawmakers to make high-speed broadband more accessible in rural areas that lack coverage. These grants and projects are part of an overall $10 million approval by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. There are 19 projects across the commonwealth.
An unserved area is defined as a “designated geographic area in which households or businesses do not have access to at least 25 megabits per second downstream speeds and 3 megabits per second upstream speeds,” the UHSB site states.
Funding through UHSB can be used for acquisition, construction, equipment and site preparation costs associated with deploying high-speed broadband infrastructure to these communities, according to a release from Wolf’s office. The release states that by supporting this type of infrastructure, economic development, education, health care and emergency services will be enhanced across Pennsylvania.
“Nearly one million Pennsylvanians lack access to broadband internet connectivity — and we are working to change that,” Wolf said in a release. “High-speed internet is critical for working and learning from home, for businesses operating online services, for patients relying on telehealth, and more. This funding will help enhance the quality of life for residents in unserved areas of the commonwealth.”
Expanding and improving internet service has long been a stated priority of the Centre County Board of Commissioners, which approved the hire of a broadband consultant last fall that will put together a strategic plan for broadband. A part of that process includes an internet survey and speed test that’s open through Friday at centrecountypa.speedsurvey.org.
