HARRISBURG, PA — Research sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania (CRP) shows that there is not a single county of the 67 in the state where 50% of the population has access to high speed broadband internet.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband as at least 25 megabits per second (MBPS) for downloads and three MBPS for uploads. In Wayne County the median download speed is 6.05 MBPS, and in Pike County the median download speed is 10.7 MBPS. 

According to a press release from CRP, the figures produced by the research show that official estimates of broadband availability have been understated and have been produced by data reported by individual Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The CRP is an agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Sen. Gene Yaw, chair of the CRP, commented on the legislation.

 “As we’ve heard over the past few years, many residents in Pennsylvania do not have quality access to broadband and are missing out on economic, educational, health care and recreational opportunities,” Yaw said. “The maps produced from these tests show that a digital divide in Pennsylvania is real, and that connectivity speeds are substantially slower in our rural counties.”

Gov. Tom Wolf responded to the research with a press release. “Broadband is as essential in today’s society as electricity and water,” he said. “Not having broadband limits your ability to do business, find a job, access information, and so much more. Our lack of broadband access keeps children from accessing online assignments and homework and deters businesses from moving to our state.

 “As a response to this issue, I’ve proposed funding high-speed internet access projects as part of my Restore Pennsylvania initiative. Restore Pennsylvania will bridge the digital divide in every

community across the commonwealth, ensuring that every Pennsylvanian has access to high speed, reliable, and affordable internet service.”

There likely won’t be more help coming from Washington, D.C. where the board of the FCC in late May took a preliminary vote to cap spending on the Universal Service programs, which help deliver broadband service to rural areas and low-income populations.

The vote was along party lines, with the three Republican-appointed commissioners voting in favor of the cap, and with the two Democratic-appointed commissioners opposed. According to the website Ars Technica commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said, the Republican plan “is fundamentally inconsistent with this agency’s high-minded rhetoric about closing the digital divide” and “at odds with our most basic statutory duty to promote and advance universal service.”