Broadband Services & Information Update
Posted April 6, 2024
In June 2023, the Governor announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) allocated $1.16 billion in federal funding to Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) completed a 5-year Action Plan to meet federal requirements. This plan was approved in October 2023 and has a four year implementation schedule.
Click here for the State Broadband Plan
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, provides funding to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Click here for BEAD Info Sheet
Visit the Pennsylvania Capital Projects – Broadband Infrastructure Map to determine your Service Availability Data and who is listed as the current provider. This will tell you whether your address is Served (green dot), Under-Served (purple triangle) or Un-Served (red square). The FCC has stipulated that BEAD program funds are only available for households that are under-served and un-served.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a National Broadband Map where residents can look up their status of available Service Providers for a specific address. The FCC has determined that if your status is listed as Served that you meet the federal requirement for “Broadband for Everyone”, regardless if it provides good or bad coverage. It is our understanding that the FCC is measuring this as Availability Expense (“Want”) vs. Not Available to Service (“Need”). If someone already has service but wants better service, there is a list of providers available if you are willing to pay for better service. Click here for instructions How to Challenge the FCC Broadband Map
The FCC also has a Broadband Speed Test APP that measures broadband performance data. Residents can help the state, and themselves, by taking part in the speed test app.
For further information or help with Challenging the Map please contact:
PA Broadband Development Authority: 717-425-7599 / https://www.broadband.pa.gov/contact/
