Stacey Gross
WARREN, Pa. – A $4.7 million broadband infrastructure grant has been approved to Verizon Pennsylvania LLC by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to bring high-speed broadband service to thousands in Warren County, according to an announcement on the county website.
PDBA Executive Director Brandon Carson announced Wednesday that the PDBA awarded $4.7 million Broadband Infrastructure Program grant funding to Verizon Pennsylvania LLC, toward a $9.9 million project that will bring high-speed broadband services over Verizon’s fiber optic network to an estimated 1,220 homes in Warren County.
Municipalities included in the project are the City of Warren, Russell, Clarendon, Ludlow, Spring Creek, Irvine, Pittsfield, and Youngsville.
The Broadband Infrastructure Program, funded through the federal Capital Projects Fund, awards grants for line extension and development projects, and large-scale regional infrastructure projects. When finished, projects must deliver service that meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 megabits per second, with prioritization given to projects using fiber optic delivery systems.
For perspective, a high-definition movie is about 3 gigabytes large. Under optimal conditions – that is, with the best computer and modem/router combination – you could download that movie in around four minutes.
According to an announcement on the Warren County website, “Access to high-speed broadband service is no longer a luxury. Quite simply, it is a necessity that our residents and businesses demand of us. Completion of Verizon’s project will enable our constituents to participate in remote work opportunities, and students to use technology to participate in virtual learning and complete homework assignments.”
Local businesses, the announcement goes on to say, will be more able to attract employees and compete in the marketplace, which is difficult when those businesses operate near or within areas unserved and underserved in the broadband arena.
“To ensure the project’s timely and successful completion the county is coordinating with Verizon and the local jurisdictional partner on it,” the announcement states.
The project will begin this year and is expected to be finished in December 2026.
“The Warren County Commissioners, with support from Insight Technology consultant Bill Gallagher, continue to engage providers to find solutions to the complex residential broadband problem existing in rural Warren County,” the announcement states. “The county looks forward to partnering with Verizon as this project progresses and constituents are served.”
The full project announcement is available here.
