CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners are pleased to announce that four fiber-optic projects that will improve Clearfield County’s broadband access and high-speed internet were approved Thursday morning by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority.
The $204 million Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) funded by the ARPA Capital Projects Fund, resulted in 53 project awards, affecting 42 counties state-wide.
The four awards affecting Clearfield County were submitted by Verizon Pennsylvania LLC and supported by the Clearfield County Commissioners.
A majority of project work will take place in Clearfield County, but also will also include work in Blair, Centre, Huntingdon, Indiana and Cambria counties.
The total estimated cost of the projects is $47.1 million, with grants totaling $21.4 million awarded, and Verizon has pledged to pay the remaining $25 million.
“I couldn’t be more excited about these projects,” said Commissioner Dave Glass. “Verizon came to the table last year and promised a large investment in our area, and they really came through.
“This is a major step in making broadband truly available to all residents. Having high-speed internet is just like having electricity, it’s a necessity in today’s world and this investment will lead to more jobs and retention of our young adults in the region.
“I want to thank the PDBA for recognizing the need in Clearfield County with these awards.”
“This is great news for Clearfield County. The expansion of broadband into underserved parts of the county will have a far-reaching, long-term positive impact,” said Commissioner Tim Winters.
Commissioner John Sobel noted, “This really reflects the hard work done by the commissioners in recruiting the local municipalities’ support of the projects awarded to the benefit of Clearfield County.
“We are proud of what truly was a county-wide effort, and we want to thank our local officials for their assistance. It was a job well done.”
BIP projects are required by statute to be complete by Dec. 31, 2026. The PBDA anticipates project work to begin later this summer in many cases.
“This is just step one,” said Glass. “The much larger $1.4 billion ‘BEAD’ grant program is ramping up, and those applications will be submitted late this year.
“We will continue to work with the PBDA, our municipalities, and ISP’s, such as Verizon, to make sure no one is left behind when it comes to broadband access.”
The full list of 2023-24 ARPA PA Broadband Infrastructure Program Approved Projects can be viewed here.