July 20, 2023 - Northern Cambria, PA
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) Executive Director Brandon Carson visited the Northern Cambria Senior Center in Cambria County to highlight the Shapiro Administration's plans to expand broadband access across the Commonwealth using more than $1.16 billion in funding through the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. As part of President Biden's "Internet for All" initiative, Governor Shapiro announced the Commonwealth will receive $1.16 billion through the federal BEAD Program to expand broadband infrastructure for communities lacking reliable, affordable, high-speed internet access. In Cambria County, more than 5,700 locations are currently unserved or underserved, and Pennsylvania seniors are 14 percentage points less likely to have broadband compared to other Pennsylvanians. Across Pennsylvania, 276,000 households do not have access to the internet while another 52,000 do not have reliable access. The Shapiro Administration is working to expand broadband access for seniors so they can age with dignity - and to connect Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth to the affordable, high-speed internet that will help them go to school, start and grow businesses, and access telemedicine no matter where they live. "Broadband access isn't a rural or urban issue - it's a Pennsylvania issue that impacts every community and every resident's health, education, and economic opportunity," said Governor Josh Shapiro. "In our Commonwealth, seniors are more likely to not have broadband access than the general population, and a majority of Cambria County residents is underserved when it comes to access to the internet. My Administration has secured the funding, assembled a team, and created a plan to change this and to connect students with their teachers, seniors with their doctors, and families and businesses with the resources they need to thrive." List of Speakers:Dr. M. Veil Griffith, Cambria County Area Agency on Aging AdministratorDr. Barbara Zaboroski, Dean of Library & Special Projects at Penn Highlands Community CollegeBrandon Carson, Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority Executive DirectorGovernor Josh Shapiro
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