Digital divide hurts pocketbooks of Pa. residents, roundtable participants say

The digital divide leads to lost opportunities for people in underserved broadband areas, officials said Thursday as they discussed how to spend $1.16 billion expected from the federal government to help solve the problem.

“People have been talking about the digital divide for decades,” said Evan Feinman, director of the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. “And the simple fact of the matter is it is fundamentally unfair — it is fundamentally inequitable — to say that there exist some communities, there exist some students, there exist some elderly people, who are not going to have the same opportunities … because of where they’re born.”

Federal, state and local government officials gathered with the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority in State College on Thursday to discuss the new funding, which is part of President Joe Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative. The $42.5 billion program seeks to identify and address gaps in high-speed internet access across the country.

Pennsylvania’s Statewide Broadband Plan released last year cites a Federal Communications Commission report that estimates approximately 640,000 to 800,000, or 5% of Pennsylvanians are unserved and lack access to high-speed broadband.

“What we are doing is striking a blow for opportunity, leveling the playing field and creating a future that is brighter, more equitable and, ultimately, is going to lead to greater prosperity and increased opportunity for every single Pennsylvanian,” Feinman said.

Connecting to broadband can provide at least $1,900 in economic benefit per household said Rick Siger, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Universal broadband access is an “incredible return on investment,” Siger said. Every dollar invested in broadband generates $3 or $4 in economic benefits. When applied to the nearly $1.2 billion in funding, this means $3 billion to $4 billion being contributed to the state’s economy in the coming years, he said.

The state Broadband Development Authority plans to hold more than 20 roundtable discussions in local communities to hear feedback on broadband coverage from residents, said Brandon Carson, executive director of the authority. A meeting will be held Friday with Allegheny County residents.

Westmoreland County, meanwhile, is expected to allocate more than $10 million in covid relief funds this year to expand broadband coverage.