The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) has released Period 1 initial data. The data will be key in determining the use of the $1.2 billion Pennsylvania received in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding.
The PBDA says that 239 applications were submitted by 26 participating applicants. Almost all of the eligible locations — 97% — received at least one bid.
The PBDA says that the first of two grant periods closed on February 7 and that Application Review Period One has begun. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The number of broadband service areas (BSAs) will be fewer for Application Period Two based on the awarded areas from the first period.
BEAD Program applications for Round 2 in Pennsylvania will be open for 60 days.
Pennsylvania’s BEAD efforts accelerated at the end of last year when it began accepting Round 1 applications. The round closed for applications on January 21.
The strategy is to handle extremely high-cost locations in the second round. That threshold will determine where other technologies, such as fixed wireless or satellite broadband, can be used.
Telecompetitor spoke to the Pennsylvania state broadband director Brandon Carson about a year ago about BEAD and other topics. He said that the state aimed to bring broadband service to 236,000 unserved and 52,000 underserved locations.
At that point, the target deployments reflected a decrease in 40,000 locations in need of savings due to private investments and the completion of enforceable funding commitments, Carson said.
Additional information about Pennsylvania broadband, including links to state funding resources, BEAD information, and state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, can be found on the Telecompetitor Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
