Charlotte Keith, Spotlight PA; Pa. can move ahead with broadband expansion after feds back down on wage dispute
"Pennsylvania can move ahead with spending more than $700 million on expanding high-speed internet in rural areas, after federal officials backed down from a threat to withhold the money because of a dispute over state labor law.
The reversal removes what could have been a major roadblock to connecting roughly 130,000 Pennsylvania homes and businesses that still can’t get broadband.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Community and Economic Development said the delay was “unfortunate” but added that the Shapiro administration insisted on “standing up for workers.”
Pennsylvania now has six months to sign contracts with the companies that will receive funding, who then must provide internet service within four years.
Most locations will be connected via fiber-optic cables, which are widely considered the fastest and most reliable internet technology.
As a result of changes made by the Trump administration, however, almost one-quarter of eligible locations will receive satellite internet, which is cheaper to install but often more expensive to subscribe to. In addition, satellite internet may not be able to keep up with future demands for faster speeds as technology evolves."
No comments:
Post a Comment