June 2023

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) newsletter! Read on for the latest updates and news from the PBDA on grant opportunities, deadlines, and upcoming opportunities to engage in broadband efforts across the Commonwealth.

The BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) Challenge process opened April 24 and concluded on July 22, 2024. Thank you to everyone who participated in this important process to help determine eligible BEAD Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs). 

A summary of the submitted challenges and rebuttals is available on the BEAD Challenge Process webpage. 

PBDA has been working aggressively to meet the mission of closing the digital divide in Pennsylvania.   

In May, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Volume II of the BEAD Initial Proposal. Volume II outlines local coordination efforts, the sub-grantee selection process, implementation activities, labor standards and workforce readiness, low-cost service options, middle-class affordability, and more. 

PBDA will now work to complete the BEAD Final Proposal. The Final Proposal will outline the outcome of the eligible entity sub-grantee selection process, how funds will be allocated, a timeline for implementation, oversight and accountability processes, summary of local coordination efforts and the impact of those efforts, description of the challenge process results, and much more. 

Please direct questions regarding the BEAD Program and the Challenge Process to
ra-dcpbda_bead@pa.gov 

PBDA would like to remind our local government partners about the Broadband Ready Communities (BBRC) Program. The goal of the BBRC program is to reduce procedural, policy, and permitting barriers to broadband deployment at the municipal level and to encourage broadband infrastructure investment within participating PA communities.  

Participation in the BBRC program will designate a participating municipality as a Broadband Ready Community and highlight that they have worked to improve broadband infrastructure implementation efficiency. While participation is optional, it is encouraged. The application period closes on December 31, 2024. 

In March, the NTIA released the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Previously, PBDA received a State Digital Equity Planning Grant to develop a Statewide Digital Equity Plan. The Digital Equity Capacity Grant program will allow the PBDA to put the approved Statewide Digital Equity Plan into action.  

PBDA applied on behalf of the Commonwealth in May and is awaiting final approval from the NTIA. 

The goal of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is to fund initiatives that ensure communities have the access and skills to participate in our digital economy. This $1.25 billion program will be administered and led by the NTIA. Please visit the NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program website for more information.  

Questions regarding this program should be directed to the NTIA. 

The PBDA continues work on developing the BEAD program guidelines.   

PBDA anticipates opening applications in the fall of 2024, pending approval of the challenge data by NTIA and the program guidelines by the Board of Directors. A series of webinars and office hours regarding the BEAD Grant Program will be coming in the weeks ahead.  

Please continue to check the BEAD Program webpage and the News & Events page for additional information. 

All PBDA Board meetings and Sub-Committee meetings are open to the public and always allow for public comment.

On February 7, PBDA and the PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) provided a second webinar about the PA Prevailing Wage requirements. The primary goal was to ensure our shared stakeholders have the support and resources needed to successfully execute BEAD-funded projects. The webinar provided specifics on how to apply, implement, and utilize the prevailing wage rates. PBDA has created a Prevailing Wage Rates page on the website, which provides additional resources.

The PBDA has outlined the creation of Broadband Serviceable Areas (BSAs) for the BEAD program. BSAs are PBDA-defined areas that prospective subgrantees will be required to use when developing proposed projects for consideration under BEAD. BSAs can consist of a single Census Block Group or an aggregation of census block groups and are constrained by each county. Applicants must apply for a minimum of one BSA but are permitted to apply for as many BSAs as they wish, assuming they are able to meet all BEAD program requirements. Draft BSAs will be publicly released soon.

This $204 million competitive grant program focuses on locations that do not currently have access to 25/3 Mbps reliable service. The program funds extensions of existing last-mile cable modem and fiber-to-the-premise broadband networks, as well as large-scale regional projects that can transform broadband availability by serving large numbers of eligible addresses.  

PBDA presented the final project determinations at the PBDA Board meeting on April 18. These were unanimously approved. This program will award $204 million across 53 unique applications serving over 40,000 unserved/underserved Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) across the Commonwealth.  Contracting is currently underway and the PBDA will continue to provide updates on those projects as they begin. 

This $45 million competitive grant program provides funding to community anchor institutions (CAIs) and units of local government for community projects to construct, acquire, or improve facilities that are, or will be open to the public and will directly enable work, education, and health monitoring at the respective facility.  

The PBDA is nearing completion of review of applications received and anticipate presenting a list of recommended projects to the Board of Directors, in the coming weeks. 

On May 10, the PBDA posted guidelines for the Digital Connectivity Technology (Technology) Program. On June 20, 2024, the application period opened for the Technology Program and will accept applications through August 19, 2024.  

At the PBDA Board meeting on July 25, PBDA’s Board of Directors approved the vendor and device being distributed through this program. PBDA will contract with Hewlett Packard (HP) to procure the HP EliteBook x360, which has both laptop and tablet capabilities. 

The PBDA has posted resources on the Technology Program page. This includes a pre-recorded webinar providing an overview of the program, as well as an FAQ that was informed through the Office Hours sessions held in May. 

If you have questions about closing the digital divide in Pennsylvania, email the
PA Broadband Development Authority or connect with us by phone
at 1.866.466.3972.

Department of Community & Economic Development | dced.pa.gov