Southern Cove Broadband Access Improving

[Originally published in the Morrison Cove Herald, Feb. 12th, 2026] New broadband towers rising in the Southern Cove have drawn attention to ongoing efforts to expand internet access in rural parts of Bedford and Huntingdon counties. While new infrastructure is visible in some areas, broadband providers say access across the region remains uneven, shaped by terrain, funding availability, and the type of technology being deployed.

According to Alleghenies Broadband Inc., broadband access in Bedford and Huntingdon counties has improved in recent years, largely due to state and federal grant funding.

Project manager Dustin Bishop said public investment has allowed providers to reach areas that would otherwise be difficult to serve due to low population density and high construction costs.

Alleghenies Broadband is currently partnering with Crowsnest Broadband on a major fiber expansion project funded through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority.

The project includes nearly 70 miles of fiber optic infrastructure in Southern Blair County and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, with construction currently ahead of schedule.

Despite progress, he said some of the largest gaps in coverage remain in rural and mountainous areas, particularly in regions like the Cove where steep terrain and long distances between homes increase construction complexity.

Valleys and elevation changes can limit the effectiveness of certain technologies, making infrastructure decisions especially important.

Even in areas where internet service is technically available, reliability can vary widely depending on the technology in use. Bishop said older options such as DSL and satellite service are often inconsistent, while fixed wireless and fiber networks are better suited to delivering reliable high speed internet over the long term.

"Some of the largest gaps in coverage remain in rural and mountainous areas, particularly in regions like the Cove where steep terrain and long distances between homes increase construction complexity. Valleys and elevation changes can limit the effectiveness of certain technologies, making infrastructure decisions especially important."

One challenge, he said, is the assumption that new towers or fiber lines immediately solve broadband problems. In reality, infrastructure alone does not guarantee adequate service if the underlying technology does not meet evolving speed and capacity needs.

State and federal grants play a critical role in making rural broadband expansion possible. Bishop said internet service providers are often unable to justify the cost of expanding into sparsely populated areas without public support. Grant funding helps bridge the financial gap between what providers can invest and what it costs to build and maintain modern networks.

Timelines for broadband improvements remain difficult to predict. While some projects in the region have defined completion dates, others depend on the pace at which federal funding is awarded and distributed. Projects receiving preliminary approval through the Broadband Equity Access and Development program may have up to four years to complete construction once final awards are issued.

He said one of the most common misconceptions about broadband is the belief that the digital divide has been solved simply because most residents have some form of internet access. As online needs continue to grow, he said long term solutions depend on continued investment in infrastructure that exceeds minimum speed requirements rather than settling for baseline service.

Broadband providers say progress in rural areas is incremental and ongoing, shaped by funding cycles, geography, and technology choices. While recent projects represent meaningful steps forward, they caution that expanding reliable high speed internet across the Southern Cove and surrounding rural communities remains a long term effort rather than a one time fix.