Casey advocates for better broadband
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey wants federal money earmarked for rural communities in Pennsylvania to stay here.
Casey, D-Pa., wrote a letter to the Federal Communication Commission asking that the unused $23 million in “Connect America” funding, also known as CAF, not be auctioned off to other states, but remain in the state for broadband improvements to people living in rural areas here who don’t have access to the internet.
“Pennsylvania’s rural residents need this funding,” Casey wrote in the letter. “According to the FCC’s 2016 Broadband Progress Report, 20 percent of Pennsylvanians living in rural areas do not have access to high-speed internet, with that number rising as high as 69 percent in some counties.”
That report lists Greene County as one of 34 counties across the state that have less broadband internet access than the national average. According to the report, 10 percent of the nation’s population does not have access.
In Greene County, 12 percent of the population is without access and in Washington County, that number is 9 percent.
“Access to broadband and advanced telecommunication technology are essential to full participation in economic and social life for every American,” Casey wrote in the letter. “We need to do everything possible to expand access to this critical resource.”
If the current $23.27 million is declined by broadband carriers, that funding can be auctioned off, which often results in the money leaving the state for projects elsewhere.
“Losing all or part of this funding would be unfair to Pennsylvania residents in rural and high-cost areas and contrary to the FCC’s goal of ensuring broadband access for all,” Casey said.
Ben Schwartz, legislative aide for Casey’s office, said New York state officials recently filed a petition with the FCC, requesting that instead of auctioning off those funds, the money stays in the state for which it was intended. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission commented on that petition backing New York’s request.
“We’ve certainly advocated for keeping the money in the state,” PUC spokesperson Nils Hagen-Frederiksen said. “The commission is very concerned for broadband access for everyone.”
It’s been such a concern for residents across Southwestern Pennsylvania that a public hearing was held in August at Waynesburg University with several state legislators and PUC officials to determine what changes could be made. State Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, and State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, were among them, advocating that the $23 million “Connect America” funds stay in the state.
“I applaud Senator Casey and anyone in congress that is petitioning the FCC to keep the money in rural America,” Neuman said Thursday. “We need to make sure the average family has access to what is now a necessity for internet.”
Neuman and Snyder said anything from high school and college classes to everyday jobs require broadband internet access.
“We are ready to go into 2017, and in today’s world without that type of internet access, it’s hard to function,” Snyder said. “I’m very grateful that Senator Casey sent that letter. That’s what the money was designed for.”
Snyder said she’s received several complaints over the past few years from rural constituents who have little to no access to broadband. She introduced legislation in October designed to upgrade mandatory broadband speeds in Pennsylvania over current requirements.
“It is extremely important that those funds be used in rural America,” she said. “We need everyone engaged in this issue.”