Pennsylvania residents have until Oct. 10 to weigh in on a proposed five-year plan to upgrade broadband internet availability, reliability and affordability statewide.
State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar, R-Somerset, said the state is seeking public input on the “Connecting the Commonwealth” initiative, which was first unveiled last month as a precursor to obtaining a record $1.6 billion in funds to address the state’s high-speed internet shortfalls.
Metzgar, a member of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, has said the plan would expand infrastructure statewide to enable internet service providers to deliver high-speed internet to rural areas. Other elements of the plan would lower costs for retirees and other Pennsylvanians who cannot afford broadband and expand digital literacy training.
“In order to meet the needs of today, high-speed broadband must be accessible for residents living in rural Pennsylvania,” said Metzgar.
“Expansion is the modern-day equivalent of rural electrification, and this input period will help us develop a strategy to deploy broadband across Pennsylvania.”
“In order to meet the needs of today, high-speed broadband must be accessible for residents living in rural Pennsylvania.”
Residents can view the draft do.cument by visiting the link below:
To submit comments, scroll to Page 2 on the document and click on the blue hyperlinked words “this form” at the top of the page under the overview section.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. Oct. 10.