BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) provided Bedford County with enough money to invest in rural areas that lack reliable, high-speed broadband access.
Four new telecommunication towers will be built and utilized to support high-speed internet services to around 400 households and 20 businesses located in eight communities in the southeastern portion of Bedford County in addition to parts of Fulton County and Allegheny County, according to a press release.
” Through collaboration with Bedford County and local internet service providers, we were able to develop a cost-effective strategy to reach the residents and businesses located in these hard-to-reach areas.”
These towers will also be capable of supporting the expansion of cellphone service in the projected areas.
This comes as part of a $46.4 million package to support 57 projects across 184 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative.
POWER aims federal resourced to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related supply chain industries.
“The terrain in portions of Bedford County make it difficult to expand broadband infrastructure to some communities,” Brandon Carson, executive director at Alleghenies Broadband, Inc., said. ” Through collaboration with Bedford County and local internet service providers, we were able to develop a cost-effective strategy to reach the residents and businesses located in these hard-to-reach areas.”
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