WARREN, Pa. – Future redevelopment in Warren County will be closely tied to the ability to expand broadband and high-speed internet access throughout the county, according to the Warren County Commissioners.

The Warren County Commissioners are highlighting two projects aimed at expanding broadband. According to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, the BEAD (Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment) program is a federal program providing $42.45 billion to states for broadband deployment, mapping and adoption projects. Pennsylvania will receive $1.16 billion of that total. From there, funding will be awarded via a competitive grant process. There are two BEAD applications that aim to expand access in Warren County.

The PBDA’s broadband maps indicate that project areas include nearly every municipality in Warren County. Warren County staff have been part of the CoreConnect Open Access Broadband Network’s BEAD application. That effort aims to complete a $396 million, 10-county project. The commissioners also made a $10,000 contribution to help facilitate the application process.

Commissioner Tricia Durbin said the commissioners acknowledged that the broadband question was an issue that the county “could not crack… on its own.” She acknowledged that many people have asked what is being done in the broadband space.

“We are partnering with the Northwest Commission in this adventure,” she said. “I think we’ve got a really good shot at it.”

2 CoreConnect aims to expand coverage to an estimated nearly 20,000 households in the region. Counties that are part of the effort along with Warren include Cameron, Crawford, Clarion, Elk, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango. According to CoreConnect, an open access network is similar to how airports operate where an airport authority builds and maintains the terminal, runways and gates but multiple airlines can use the facilities. Their proposal is to build a network that allows multiple internet service providers to utilize the same fiberoptics, promoting both competition and customer choice.

The application to the PBDA seeks $178 million in BEAD grant funding to be matched by $218 million in private dollars. If awarded, the build will take three years and create 392 full-time jobs. Verizon has also submitted a BEAD application to the PBDA that would implement expanded access in the county. The PBDA has broken each county into “Broadband Serviceable Areas,” or BSAs. Verizon officials have informed the county that its BEAD application includes projects in the following municipalities in Warren County: Glade, Elk, Mead, Pleasant, Watson, Cherry Grove, Sheffield, Conewango, Triumph, Deerfield, PiƩsfield, Brokenstraw, Pine Grove, Farmington, City of Warren, Limestone, Youngsville and Pine Grove.

Durbin encouraged those looking to advocate on this issue to reach out to their state representaƟves and to the PBDA to lobby for approval of these proposals.