Pennsylvania

Participation and Support of Outreach Events

The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) Pennsylvania Federal Program Officer (FPO), worked closely with the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) to provide updates, review grant documents, answer programmatic questions, and collaborate on stakeholder outreach and partnerships. The FPO participated in each of the board subcommittee meetings (Technical, Outreach, Data/Mapping, and Workforce/Supply Chain), and supported many of the over 20 community conversations across Pennsylvania to ensure local input and coordination were considered as key components in Pennsylvania’s broadband approach. The FPO also worked closely with the Pennsylvania Statewide Digital Equity Coalition  to build new partnerships across the Commonwealth. They have also presented to several counties and regional planning commissions.

Partnering with Local Governments

On July 13, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) partnered with the PBDA and local government associations to hold an Internet for All Broadband Summit in State College. During the summit, attendees addressed challenges, best practices, and steps forward to ensure all Pennsylvanians have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet. Approximately 200 in-person and 100 virtual attendees attended the Internet for All Broadband Summit.

Internet for All Webinars

OICG, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Broadband Office (SBO), held Broadband 101 webinars for the public throughout 2023. These webinars provided relevant information on OICG grant programs and enabled partnership with community and industry associations, and addressed key questions and topics around broadband adoption, including challenge process participation. These webinars were part of a concerted effort in the Commonwealth to build a community of diverse stakeholders where the members could build trust, share challenges, and discuss future solutions for Internet accessibility.

Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program Grants

The following awards were made in PA as part of the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program: