Reporter Vincent DiFonzo contributed to this story

HARRISBURG— Applications are open for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, a federal grant aimed at expanding internet access in rural areas.

Pennsylvania has $1.16 billion in federal funds to give away. 

“We're fortunate to have this program,” said Todd Eachus, president of the Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania. “And we need to execute as best as we possibly can.”

This is the second round of applications for the program; but guidelines for the grant participants are different this time around.

BEAD is a one time program authorized by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act in 2021. The grant is specifically for any business or organization that can “design, build, and operate high-speed broadband service infrastructure”.

While there are specifications for the program written in law, the Biden administration added more requirements that focused on labor union protection, environmentalism, affordability, local input, and more in order for organizations to get approved for funds.

“The bid rules went beyond Congressional intent, and were loaded up with some really difficult obstacles to success,” Eachus said.

This year, he Trump administration paused the program to reevaluate and restructure the applicant requirements.

The updated policy was posted on June 6, and axed many of the added guidelines.

When giving reason for the changes, the policy paper says "As a result of these counterproductive Biden Administration burdens, the BEAD Program has failed to put a single shovel in the ground since IIJA’s passage in 2021 —leaving many Americans unconnected."

The changes have been criticized by labor unions for eliminating labor protections. The Communications Workers of America say new guidelines could favor satellite over wired fiber installation, and wastes time and resources communities put into planning their projects.

“The NTIA’s elimination of requirements for fair labor practices and workforce development plans will hinder states’ ability to appropriately manage local workforce needs, or to create the good jobs that would have attracted and retained a well-trained workforce," the labor group said in a press release.

Pennsylvania’s Broadband Development Authority says all groups that submitted projects in the first application round can reapply if they want to change anything on their proposal in response to the federal changes. The current application round is  two weeks long, from July 18 to August 1.

Eachus says that if used strategically, $1 billion dollars should get reliable internet to most Pennsylvanians.

"However, if it becomes something where we lose focus on that mission and it becomes cluttered with other regulatory hurdles— labor costs, time drivers, and such— then we will be challenged.”

Over 250,000 households and businesses in Pennsylvania have little or no reliable internet access (which is defined as 100 mbps download speed and 20 mbps upload speed).

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, around 128,000 of those locations are eligible for BEAD funds— and another previous, smaller federal grant— to reach them.

Once money starts getting sent out, Eachus says clear communication between different industry and organizations needs to happen if projects are to be completed efficiently and quickly.

“There's a great amount of demand for this now, particularly if you don't have any access,” Eachus said. "And that pent up demand by the public is saying, 'we've heard about this, we want it now.’"