Local state representative introduces bill in continued fight for broadband
State Rep. Pam Snyder isn’t giving up on bringing broadband internet access to the unserved and underserved people of the state’s rural counties.
She introduced one bill and two resolutions this week she hopes will address several issues related to lack of access in counties like Greene, where she’s from.
The bill directs the state Department of General Services to conduct an inventory of communication towers, poles, bridges and facilities to leverage existing assets and provide access to areas without broadband service.
“This isn’t about someone getting on Facebook,” said Snyder, D-Jefferson. “It’s about being able to function and being competitive in the year 2019.”
Even though Pennsylvania has over 200 internet providers, Snyder said more than 800,000 residents – including 520,000 in rural areas – lack broadband service.
The reason? Running fiber optic cables on a 10-mile stretch of roadway where there’s only two or three houses or farms becomes cost prohibitive to a company, she said.
The lacking service has far-reaching impacts, she said.
“School students aren’t able to complete their assignments at home, and companies are less likely to locate in regions of our state without reliable broadband access,” Snyder said. “Hospitals are unable to provide telemedicine or use other advanced technologies to help their patients. These communities shouldn’t wait any longer – the time for action is now.”
One of the resolutions she introduced directs the Joint State Government Commission to audit and investigate the compliance by non-rural telecommunications carriers with previously enacted laws from 1993 and 2004.
“Despite the passage of measures back in 1993 and 2004 to ensure all areas of our state have access to a modern broadband telecommunications network by 2015, that obviously hasn’t happened and it’s extremely frustrating,” Snyder said.
The second resolution establishes a bipartisan, bicameral commission to make recommendations as to how to get broadband services into all areas of the state.
“We’re continuing to work toward trying to find solutions and making sure everyone has access,” Snyder said.
Snyder said she has been in discussions with Microsoft about their pilot program to use the low-frequency white spaces spectrum, which is the spectrum between television channels, to provide internet services to all rural areas. Twelve states are currently participating in the program, but Pennsylvania is not one of them.
“I’m hopeful that Pennsylvania will be a part of that project this year,” Snyder said, adding what Microsoft is doing will offer another option for rural areas. “That’s the key to success in my opinion, have multiple alternatives for people so they have options and ability to access what they need.”
She added that Gov. Tom Wolf just hired someone to head the state’s broadband initiative and said both Wolf and federal officials have made the issue a high priority.
“This is not an easy issue and not something that’s easily fixed, but we’re making great strides, and everybody is supportive of this,” Snyder said.