Pennsylvania has awarded more than $448 million in federal funding for broadband infrastructure projects across 50 counties, marking the state’s first round of grants under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority Executive Director Brandon Carson announced the awards Oct. 1.
The funding is part of more than $711 million in federal BEAD funding approved for Pennsylvania by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in April.
The projects will expand high-speed internet access to underserved homes, businesses and community facilities through a combination of fiber-optic networks, fixed wireless technology and other infrastructure improvements.
Eligible project costs include planning, design, engineering, construction, network equipment and software upgrades. Grant recipients must provide matching funds covering at least 25 percent of total project costs.
Nine companies and organizations received awards in the initial round, including Verizon Pennsylvania and Verizon North, Frontier Communications, Brightspeed, CoreConnect, Upward Broadband, Centre WISP Venture Co., Central Bradford Progress Authority, eCommunity Holdings and IBT Group USA.
One of the awards will support a Verizon broadband expansion serving nearly 3,000 homes and businesses in Centre and Mifflin counties.
Verizon will invest $40 million in the project and receive $28.85 million in BEAD funding. The improvements are expected to expand internet availability throughout the Bald Eagle Area School District and surrounding communities.
The state said the number of Pennsylvania households without high-speed internet access has declined from more than 330,000 in 2022 to fewer than 133,000 in 2026, a reduction of nearly 60 percent.
Shapiro said the administration intends to extend broadband access to the remaining unserved households by the end of the decade.
Pennsylvania originally received an allocation of $1.16 billion through the BEAD program, which Congress established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
The state’s current funding strategy reflects changes to federal BEAD requirements issued by NTIA in 2025.
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will distribute the remaining approved BEAD funding before the end of 2026, according to the governor’s office.
In addition to announcing the grants, the state launched ConnectPA, an online resource that allows residents without high-speed internet to view estimated connection timelines for their communities.
The latest awards follow more than $269 million in previously announced state broadband investments.
Those investments include $204.1 million through the Broadband Infrastructure Program for projects intended to reach more than 100,000 residents in 42 counties.
Another $45 million supported 49 projects in 27 counties through the Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program, while $20 million was allocated through the Digital Connectivity Technology Program to provide devices such as laptops to schools, libraries, municipalities and community organizations.
The new BEAD awards will support the state’s goal of making high-speed internet service available statewide by 2030.
Photo by Nic Wood from Pexels
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