PA Broadband Authority Accepting Grant Applications   

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority is now accepting applications for the Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program. This program will provide $200 million toward broadband line extension and development projects, as well as large-scale regional infrastructure projects. Local governments, nonprofits, cooperatives, and private entities are eligible to apply until July 10. The minimum grant is $500,000 and maximum is $10 million.   

The competitive grant program will target locations that do not currently have access to 25/3 Mbps reliable service. The program will fund extensions of existing last-mile cable modem and fiber-to-the-premises broadband networks, as well as large-scale regional projects that can transform broadband availability by serving large numbers of eligible addresses. 

For more information, visit DCED.pa.gov, click the “Programs & Funding” tab and then “Broadband in Pennsylvania.” A FAQ document is also available for this program. Please email the following resource account with any questions pbda_capitalprojectsfund@pa.gov. 

Additionally, the Authority has created an online web map to support prospective applicants for this and future programs. This map will be released soon and shows broadband serviceable locations and community anchor institutions across the commonwealth. The Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) are categorized into served, underserved, and unserved layers. This map will continue to be updated using the latest available data from the Federal Communications Commission Broadband Data Collection (BDC).