Windstream announced a public-private partnerships in Pennsylvania, which when completed will offer service to about 3,500 homes, business and schools. The projects will use fiber broadband for connectivity.
The company is participating in a $5.2 million public-private partnership that will provide high-speed fiber internet service to 800 addresses in Greene County through its Kinetic by Windstream business unit. The county will invest $2.5 million through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, while Windstream will provide $2.7 million and cover any cost overruns.
The townships of Aleppo, Freeport, Gilmore, Perry, Springhill and Wayne are targeted. The plans call for about 105 miles of optical fiber.
“High-speed internet access is not a luxury but a necessity,” said Pa. state Rep. Bud Cook, R-Clover Hill, in a press release issued by Windstream. The median download speed in Pennsylvania is about 191 Mbps and the median upload speed is about 24 Mbps, Ookla’s Speedtest indicates.
Windstream also said it is offering service to 2,200 homes businesses and schools in the Armstrong County communities of Apollo, North Apollo, Cherry Lane and Orchard Hills. The project is part of Windstream’s $2 billion multiyear capital investment program. The company says that it expects to provide service to an additional 500 addresses by next spring.
Windstream — which brands its services as Kinetic — provides symmetrical service as fast as 1 Gbps. The provider primarily serves rural areas across 18 states.
“We at Kinetic are thrilled to bring our ultrafast, reliable fiber connectivity and best-in-class internet experience to homes, businesses and schools here in Armstrong County,” said Susan Schraibman, president of Pennsylvania operations at Kinetic. “This important county deserves exceptional internet, which will meet the county’s evolving demands for business, educational and personal use.”
In March, Windstream said that almost 2,200 homes and businesses in Berks (900 addresses), Chester (750 addresses), and Lancaster (550 addresses) counties of Pennsylvania were eligible for its symmetrical 1 Gbps service.
