As part of its efforts to celebrate Digital Inclusion Week, Beaver County officials announced the investment of nearly $20 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds to expand high-speed internet offerings throughout the county.
Officials are hoping the "Connect Beaver County" initiative will raise its residents' awareness of various solutions that address home internet access as well as newly created programs offering computer assistance and support. It has tapped Tech2Elevate Inc., an Ambridge-based nonprofit associated with Paramount Pursuits, to develop a five-year plan to execute a program tailored to the internet service needs of Beaver County residents.
"As we work to bring broadband to every resident across Beaver County, we recognize that access to the internet depends on more than just having a service provider," Lance Grable, director of Beaver County’s Office of Planning and Redevelopment, said in a prepared statement. "That’s why digital equity and inclusion are core components of the Connect Beaver County initiative and front-of-mind given how vital access was to our residents during the Covid-19 pandemic."
Per a countrywide survey conducted in 2021, at least 1,930 Beaver County households are without broadband internet access and one in four Beaver County residents must travel to locations like libraries or coffee shops to access such services. Additionally, the survey found that of all Beaver County residents, 35% work from home full-time, 22% work from home "often" and 16% work from home "occasionally" — all groups of people who need broadband internet access for their work.
Beaver County's broadband initiative aimed at eradicating the digital divide comes just days after officials with the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County announced plans to end such a problem found throughout the region by 2027. The digital divide is a term used to describe unequal access to digital technology among populations in defined geographic areas.
According to The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy group, nine provisions in the ARP signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021 provide about $390 billion in flexible federal funding for digital equity initiatives across the country. In February, Gov. Tom Wolf announced the creation of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to oversee the management of at least $100 million in federal aid designated for the rollout of broadband internet access across the commonwealth.
