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Metro<\/p>\n
DUNCANSVILLE \u2014 Affordable, high-speed internet is now available to more than 530 rural locations in Juniata Township. <\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Broadband Development joined Alleghenies Broadband and Crowsnest Broadband Friday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Juniata Township Municipal Building in Duncansville to celebrate the completion of the fiber optic broadband expansion. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a basic need, getting the internet out to folks,\u201d said Brandon Carson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. <\/p>\n
Crowsnest Broadband founder Dwayne Zimmerman received countless calls from the Juniata Township office to bring broadband to the area. <\/p>\n
In turn, Juniata Township was at the top of the list when the grant\u2019s Notice of Funding Opportunity came out, Zimmerman said. <\/p>\n
The township building is called the \u201ccentral office\u201d because two 144-count fiber optic wire cables are there, which \u201cfeed the whole project,\u201d to the surrounding area, Zimmerman said.<\/p>\n
This internet expansion project is part of the Shapiro administration\u2019s plan to increase high-speed internet access throughout the commonwealth. <\/p>\n
Carson said five secretaries from the Shapiro administration sit on the PBDA\u2019s board. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has the goal of getting these locations connected,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
In grant awards, Dustin Bishop, project manager of Alleghenies Broadband Inc., said they received about $1.8 million in federal funding to support their internet expansion project. <\/p>\n
In total, the project cost $2.4 million. <\/p>\n
Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, believes available, reliable internet access in Juniata Township is a \u201cgame-changer.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so proud that there\u2019s been such great collaboration between the state and rural folks,\u201d Ward said. \u201cIt paid off.\u201d <\/p>\n
Goodbye buffering<\/p>\n
Zimmerman said his company \u201cfeels like we\u2019ve really contributed to the quality of life from business to work-from-home.\u201d <\/p>\n
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a need for reliable internet, Bishop said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFolks need it to work, they need it to learn, they need it for telehealth,\u201d Carson said. <\/p>\n
Juniata Township secretary and treasurer Dawn Brawley said her sister-in-law started to homeschool her children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, their internet connection could not catch up with changing times. <\/p>\n
Her sister-in-law told teachers an assigned video would take her family \u201cfive hours to download,\u201d Brawley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour schools don\u2019t understand that these rural kids don\u2019t have as good internet as they have at the school,\u201d Brawley said. <\/p>\n
Township supervisor David Kane said having high-speed internet \u201creally helps out\u201d students, especially during virtual days during the winter months. <\/p>\n
Faster internet is used for businesses and organizations, but it can also be used to reunite families. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many times we\u2019ve seen people get emotional, break down and cry on that FaceTime call for the first time ever,\u201d Zimmerman said. <\/p>\n
Expanding east<\/p>\n
Places such as Martinsburg and Williamsburg are next in line for high-speed internet service. <\/p>\n
While the western portion of the internet project is completed, Bishop said the eastern portion is still underway, the deadline being at the end of 2026. <\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we think that we\u2019ll definitely be ahead of schedule,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Bishop said those who do not reside in these areas of Blair County may still be covered by a fixed wireless tower operated by Crowsnest. <\/p>\n
\u201cHop on Crowsnest\u2019s website,\u201d Bishop said. \u201cYou can simply type in your address, and you can see if your house is going to be covered by the fixed wireless tower opposed to the fiber optics.\u201d <\/p>\n
Starting with Juniata Township, however, the rural internet expansion process is just beginning. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt never gets old lighting up a community,\u201d Zimmerman said. \u201cBut this one? It\u2019s a feather in our cap.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.<\/p>\n
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