Corry, PA - It was announced this week that Erie, Crawford, and Warren counties will be working together to expand broadband access with a new federal grant.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority has awarded the region $91 million in Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Funding, otherwise known as BEAD funding. 

The money will go toward CoreConnect, a project designed to build open-access fiber networks. Unlike traditional broadband systems, CoreConnect allows multiple internet providers to deliver service over the same lines, which could improve service options in areas where access has been limited.

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis said the project is essential for economic growth and equity.
"This is the greater part of a larger regional, 10-county project, to ensure broadband access for all," Davis said. "It is a big step, but one of several that will ensure that our residents have equitable access to the internet, no matter where they live." 
 
Warren County Commissioner Trisha Durbin highlighted the collaborative effort of county officials to make this grant a reality.
"This was a collaborative effort that actually started right after Covid, when a lot of our rural communities recognized that there was no good broadband, and people's lives were disrupted by it," she said. "This is an opportunity for us to do something together as a community and multiple counties."
 
The project is expected to connect more than 10,300 locations across the three counties. While the state has not yet determined how the $91 million will be divided among the counties, nor has it set a timeline for construction, officials say planning and preliminary work are already underway.
 
"The state of Pennsylvania will be going over consensus numbers and internet speeds and will be determining when and how the grant funds will be divided," stated Davis. "But thankfully, we have done a lot of the data mapping and research groundwork needed - and I feel that we are finally getting the attention that Northwestern Pennsylvania and rural America deserves." 
 
Local officials say the project could also support economic development by attracting new businesses, enabling remote work, and improving access to services that rely on fast internet.