Burns: High-speed internet coming to 3,557 rural homes and businesses in Cambria County
FCC to pay $5.2 million to expand broadband offerings in county
Rep. Frank Burns December 9, 2020 | 10:04 AM
EBENSBURG, Dec. 9 – Access to high-speed broadband internet will be expanded to 3,557 rural homes and businesses in Cambria County, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, announced today, the result of the latest Federal Communications Commission service auction.
“Now more than ever, reliable high-speed internet is an absolute necessity for businesses, families and students,” Burns said. “From online learning to online shopping, this will help thousands of rural Cambria County residents. For years I’ve worked to expand the internet in our area, and I’m happy those efforts are bearing fruit.”
The expansion of broadband in Cambria County is part of a statewide effort that will bring high-speed internet to more than 327,000 homes and businesses, as part of a $368 million investment in Pennsylvania broadband.
Locally, companies awarded licenses were Windstream Services LLC and the Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
In November, Burns voted for S.B. 835, a bipartisan bill that will provide dedicated state funding to expand high-speed internet to rural parts of Pennsylvania. The bill was signed into law as Act 132 and is expected to begin making investments in rural internet next year.