Pennsylvania announces $448 million for high-speed internet expansion

Governor Josh Shapiro has announced $448 million in grants to expand high-speed internet access across 50 Pennsylvania counties. This initiative represents the first round of awards from the state’s $711 million in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, which was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

The funding supports 41 distinct projects aimed at closing the digital divide, particularly in rural areas. In Centre and Mifflin counties, approximately 3,000 homes and businesses are slated to be connected through projects managed by Centre WISP, Brightspeed, and Verizon. Verizon is contributing $40 million in private investment alongside $28.85 million in BEAD funding for its regional efforts.

Since 2022, state-led initiatives have already reduced the number of Pennsylvania households lacking high-speed internet from 330,000 to 133,000. The administration aims to use the BEAD funding to connect remaining underserved locations by 2030.