The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) submitted its plan for provisional approval of nearly $800 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for final approval. PBDA says its plan will provide broadband coverage to all unserved and underserved areas across the Commonwealth within four years of final federal approval. Click here to view the final plan. Click here for a broadband map which shows the providers that will serve the remaining unserved and underserved locations.  

PSATS submitted comments on PBDA’s final BEAD plan. PSATS expressed its support for the plans focus on ensuring broadband service to all unserved and underserved areas in the most cost-effective area, its strategies to ensure compliance by the provisional awardees, and PBDA’s success in identifying awardees to serve all identified unserved and underserved areas. In its final draft, PBDA pledged to continue coordinating with affected municipalities to streamline deployments, which PSATS urged it to do. Click here for the PSATS comments.