With the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic implications of shuttering a global economy, the first half of 2020 has been like nothing any of us have ever seen.  If a silver lining can be found in this crisis, I hope that it will be the impetus for finally deploying a reliable broadband network to rural Pennsylvanians. 

Thankfully, the legislature had already begun exploring solutions to this unique challenge facing rural Pennsylvania.  Just last year, the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, of which I am Vice-Chairman, held a series of meetings throughout the Commonwealth where we heard from service providers, business owners, local government leaders, and residents. 

As a result, I joined a bipartisan group of senators in sponsoring legislation that would require the Department of General Services to conduct an inventory of state-owned assets for the purpose of deploying broadband to unserved and underserved areas of Pennsylvania.  We also empaneled a commission tasked with developing further legislative and policy changes to improve access to high-speed broadband, hardware, and technology education. 

In the short time since those legislative actions were taken, broadband access has evolved from something that many still viewed as “nice-to-have,” to a near requirement for many employees to work, students to learn, patients to be treated, and for all of us to stay socially connected.

The urgency of this issue is now obvious to everyone and I am committed to working with my colleagues to make widespread broadband access a reality for everyone.  

I hope you agree that beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibilities of this shift from traditional workplaces to remote working is exciting and full of opportunities for communities like ours.

We may finally be entering an era when well-paying “office” jobs are no longer tied to major metropolitan areas with their traffic jams and high costs of living, and given the option, I can think of no better place to call home than here in rural, beautiful, Northwest Pennsylvania.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s August 2020 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.