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Round-Up for the Week of August 17-21, 2026

This week, the Pennsylvania House Communications & Technology Committee held an informational meeting to discuss broadband access and affordability across the Commonwealth. Speakers from community anchor institutions, universities, public-interest organizations, and the private sector came to discuss broadband affordability—what is needed, what's been done, and what the future might look like. Among the issues raised, key themes rang clear: affordability remains an unsolved problem, waning federal support threatens progress, and the debate over what policy tools are best to use is ongoing.

Infrastructure Doesn't Equal Affordability

State Representative Rich Irvin (R-PA) began by likening broadband internet access to any necessary utility today.

"It's like having water, electricity, sewage," said State Rep. Irvin.

The hearing took place in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Indiana County, situated in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, faces uneven access to broadband infrastructure, something Indiana County Commissioner Sherene Hess emphasized in her remarks.

"Indiana County is one of the least-connected counties in Pennsylvania. As recently as 2024, 22% of locations in the county lacked access to broadband service—the highest unserved rate in the commonwealth," said Hess. "Every single person in this room has had an experience related to the lack of accessible and affordable broadband—or knows someone who has."

Indiana County has long recognized the need for county-wide broadband infrastructure and affordable service. The county assembled a $7 million broadband infrastructure investment in 2022, combining federal, state, and local funds to bring broadband service to some of the region's most remote areas.

"This investment, along with the upcoming Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, will soon extend broadband networks to thousands of Indiana County residents who currently lack them," Hess said.

But despite efforts to expand infrastructure in Indiana County, affordability remains an immediate challenge.

"Infrastructure alone will not close our digital divide," said Commissioner Hess. "For too many of our residents, the cost of reliable, high-quality internet service, even when it is available, is simply unaffordable. In 2024, the median household income in Indiana County was just over $60,000, and 16% of households were living below the poverty line."

Hess said that for many in Indiana County, broadband service comes at the expense of other essential needs.

"For our many rural and working-class families, a monthly broadband bill of $80, $100, or even $200 is not a minor expense," she said. "For these households, subscribing to broadband service can create a choice between internet service and other basic needs."

Another speaker, Jody Rainey, serves as Principal of Homer-Center Junior/Senior High School in Indiana County as well as Fire Chief of the Cherryhill Township Volunteer Fire Company. Through these positions, Rainey sees broadband affordability and availability needs manifest in different ways.

"[Broadband] influences whether a student can complete an assignment, whether a family can access healthcare, whether a volunteer firefighter can complete required training, whether first responders can communicate effectively during an emergency, and whether a rural community can fully participate in today's economy," he said.

Broadband Affordability is a Persistent Problem, But It Has Solutions

John Horrigan, Senior Fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, stressed broadband affordability as a persistent problem that will only become more difficult for Pennsylvanians due to legislation that impacts the broadband affordability landscape.

Nationwide, 43 percent of households making 50,000 or less are subscription vulnerable households—households who say their broadband bill is a challenge to pay or who have at some point lost service due to household budget constraints. Recent federal legislation—specifically the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed in 2025—adds compounding financial challenges for subscription vulnerable households by reducing programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This makes it even harder for low-income households to pay for broadband service.

"The impacts of OBBB could result in the loss of 5.6 million broadband connections among households in the lowest income quintile—with an estimate of approximately 233,000 lost connections in Pennsylvania alone," Horrigan said. "This estimate, in light of subsequent economic events (i.e., rising gas prices), may be an understatement."

Horrigan also said that this impact may be felt even more in Pennsylvania than in other states.

"Nationally, progress in home broadband adoption—focusing on the key metric of home wireline service—has stalled," he said. "From 2022 to 2024, there was only a modest growth in this measure—a 0.6 percentage point increase from 75.9% to 76.5% of households having wireline service from 2022-2024."

In Pennsylvania, those trends look different.

"In Pennsylvania, broadband adoption has declined," said Horrigan. "In 2022, 76.2% of Pennsylvania households subscribed to a wireline broadband plan at home, a figure that fell to 75.5% in 2024. The broadband adoption figure for the Commonwealth went from being slightly ahead of the national figure in 2022 to trailing it in 2024 by a full percentage point."

Affordability Solutions

Horrigan offers two paths to promote connectivity for low-income households: direct cost relief and investment in local programs to guide people through the process of getting online and that provide digital skills resources.

"Implementing direct cost relief would entail either legislating the creation of low-cost plans or developing Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)-like subsidy plans on the state level," said Horrigan.

The Federal Communications Commission's ACP Program expired in 2024, with immediate impacts on Pennsylvania, especially in Indiana County.

"In 2024, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program ended and left nearly four thousand of our most vulnerable families without financial support to afford internet service. This was a severe blow to our ability to keep residents online, and it limits our community’s ability to make full use of our infrastructure investments," said Commissioner Hess.

Some states have gone on to develop similar programs of their own. New Mexico passed legislation this year to set aside funds from the state's universal service fund to create a broadband subsidy of up to $30 per month for qualifying low-income households.

New York State passed the Affordable Broadband Act, which requires internet service providers (ISPs) with more than 20,000 customers to offer $15-per-month home broadband plans for households that meet specific income criteria (e.g., those eligible for SNAP benefits). 

During the informational meeting, State Rep. Eric Nelson (R-PA) brought up Comcast's Xfinity Internet Essentials program, which is $14.95 per month for qualifying low-income consumers, and is widely available in Pennsylvania. However, Horrigan warned that Internet Essentials alone isn't enough to turn around broadband adoption in Pennsylvania.

"Even with Internet Essentials, the state’s broadband adoption figures have not been encouraging," said Horrigan. "More needs to be done, and that more is having companies like Comcast partner with local institutions to provide digital skills training to help people understand that it's really worth trusting Comcast on this low-cost offer going forward for them."

These digital skills training programs are the crucial second piece to improving broadband adoption, said Horrigan.

"These programs typically offer courses on how to use the internet and computers, access to free or low-cost devices, and help in finding and enrolling clients in low-cost internet service plans," he said. "The returns to such initiatives are positive. These initiatives also represent investments in local capacity for problem-solving, which have long-term community benefits."

Recommendations for Pennsylvania

Dr. Christopher Ali, Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University, offered six legislative recommendations to improve broadband access and affordability in Pennsylvania:

1. State Broadband Office: Ali recommends that the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) be made permanent through the General Assembly, abolishing its current 2031 sunset. Ali also recommends that the PBDA’s mandate expand to include broadband policy planning, information gathering and research, best practice sharing, networking, and the distribution of state funds. As part of this, allocating state funding towards broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion programs is crucial, he said.
2. Be a leader: Ali urges Pennsylvania legislators to help secure the federal funding the Commonwealth was promised. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) allocated $1 billion in BEAD Program funds to Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania has plans to spend $700 million—leaving $400 million unresolved. Additionally, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) estimated that Pennsylvania was poised to receive at least $65.2 million from two Digital Equity Act programs.
3. A Pennsylvania Affordability Plan: Ali recommends that Pennsylvania develop a plan for affordability, especially given the lack of leadership on the issue at the federal level. In 2024, the Pennsylvania House Committee on Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities debated HB 2195 that would have created a Pennsylvania Affordable Broadband Internet Access Service Program. Ali said state lawmakers should do so again with due haste.
4. Remove barriers, increase competition: Ali said Pennsylvania can improve competition by approving and championing municipal broadband. Pennsylvania is one of 16 states currently prohibiting municipal broadband networks. Ali recommends that Pennsylvania repeal the state law prohibiting this important connectivity pathway.
5. Prioritizing future-proof infrastructure: Ali said that any new broadband policies developed by Pennsylvania must prioritize fiber-first, and the state should seriously consider a permanent program using state funds to upgrade the 42% of locations that received BEAD funding for uses other than fiber.
6. Treat the digital divide holistically: Ali recommends that any and all new policy developments regarding the digital divide come from a holistic perspective, where it is not only infrastructure that is considered, but that infrastructure is joined by affordability, device access, skills, education, and support to ensure that every Pennsylvanian can thrive in the digital age.

During the meeting, State Rep. Nelson raised the last-mile challenge faced by some families: prohibitive costs to bring broadband infrastructure to their homes. State Rep. Nelson asked what solutions there might be for this barrier, specifically whether a program could be developed to assist families in covering the costs of building out to their homes.

"A number of states have something called line extension programs or line extension grants," replied Ali. "It is using state money where a neighborhood or even a single household can apply and say, 'We're a mile down the road. Comcast is willing to meet us five hundred feet. We need that subsidy because Comcast says that drop is on us.'"

Ali continued, "To have those line extensions, to have a neighborhood come together and petition a fiber optic provider, for instance, and say, 'Hey, we've got enough. You may not have seen our neighborhood because there's only seventeen houses, but we're willing to do this [by]meeting you part of the way.' We've seen examples of that throughout the country and throughout history."

Broadband Providers Weigh In

Broadband service providers present at the meeting discussed infrastructure changes and technology benefits/drawbacks that impact broadband affordability.

Dustin Bishop, Project Manager for Alleghenies Broadband, Inc. (ABI), described his organization's work in securing broadband infrastructure grants with Pennsylvania localities.

"ABI manages federal grant compliance and reporting while our ISP partners handle the on-the-ground construction and installation—allowing providers to own and operate their networks while ABI represents the long-term interests of our residents and local governments," said Bishop.

Bishop also noted that infrastructure is inseparable from affordability, and affordability will be determined by whether broadband investments succeed.

Steven Schwerbel, Senior Director of State Advocacy at WISPA—The Association for Broadband Without Boundaries, advocated for fixed-wireless access as a pathway to affordable service. Schwerbel echoed the affordability concerns raised by Horrigan and Ali, advocating for affordable service solutions such as the ACP.

"WISPA recommends finding creative policy approaches that address two factors: lowering the cost of infrastructure construction and finding alternative funding sources to support an ACP-style program in Pennsylvania," said Schwerbel.

Schwerbel proposed two priorities for broadband infrastructure and affordability: ensuring BEAD and state broadband grant funds are not treated as taxable income for the ISPs that receive them, and "dedicating BEAD funds to affordability by designating non-deployment dollars—the $371 million that will not be spent on infrastructure expansion projects—to fund an ACP-style program for the commonwealth."

Schwerbel also supported the line-extension program proposed by Ali and advocated for greater competition among providers to improve the broadband landscape.

"Your local providers are the source of competition in areas where there are multiple providers, and in many cases, those hometown providers are the only ones who are able to bring broadband service because, unlike the big guys, they put their people first, and they didn't look at cost," said Schwerbel. "They looked at how to get the job done. We're proud to represent those members, and we hope that your policy will continue to be guided by putting those folks first."

Community Anchor Institutions and Coalitions Weigh In

A host of organizations submitted written testimony for the event, especially community anchor institutions and local coalitions centered on broadband deployment and digital equity.

The Keystone Internet Coalition (KIC)—a group of non-profits, local governments, educational institutions, and concerned citizens dedicated to closing the digital divide in Pennsylvania—urged the Commonwealth to expand its efforts to comprehensively address broadband affordability.

"Affordability is now an even bigger barrier to access than infrastructure availability," said KIC. "Despite this, Pennsylvania is currently taking few steps to make broadband more affordable for our citizens, 12% of whom live below the federal poverty line. As a coalition of digital equity advocates across the state, we at KIC represent the voices of people across PA who are calling for changes to make broadband more affordable."

United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania submitted testimony on behalf of its Digital Navigator Network, a collaboration with five partner organizations dedicated to connecting community members to affordable broadband options, low- or no-cost devices and digital skills training. United Way's Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) report—also cited by Commissioner Hess in her remarks—describes households earning above the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) but not enough to afford basic expenses in their county.

"ALICE includes a monthly technology line item in its basic survival budget, which accounts for basic broadband internet at home and a smartphone plan with unlimited data for each adult in a household using the average costs of six providers (three higher-cost, three lower-cost)," said United Way. "A two-adult household pays $152 per month, whereas a single adult pays $118. Internet access is often one of the first things eliminated in order to afford the rapidly rising costs of housing, food and utilities."

United Way used its ALICE study findings to represent the crucial connection between internet access and economic opportunity: "As the percentage of households with internet access rises, the percentage of households below the ALICE Threshold tends to fall," United Way said.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania argued that the state should adjust its current definition of broadband (1.544 Mbps download and 128 kilobits per second upload speed) to meet or exceed the federal guidelines of 100/20 Mbps. The Center also called for a statewide affordability study and increased mechanisms for broadband buildout (standardized public disclosure of broadband service characteristics) and broadband service provision (allowing community-based networks, municipalities, and cooperatives to deploy broadband across rural Pennsylvania).

Pennsylvanians Make Themselves Heard

The meeting convened a broad array of stakeholders in the broadband and digital equity space, each with their own recommendations for improving broadband affordability for all Pennsylvanians. Whether to act on these recommendations will be up to Pennsylvania state legislators. In the meantime, these organizations will continue to work towards broadband affordability for all in Pennsylvania.

Quick Bits

• Assistant Secretary Roth: One Year of Results at NTIA
• California PUC Approves Nearly $32 Million to Expand Broadband Access, Digital Skills, and No-Cost Internet for Californians
• Guidance on Responsible Use of Education Technology in the Classroom
• Updating the FCC Definition of Broadband

Weekend Reads

• Moving Toward Opportunity for All: The Future of Universal Service Reform
• Less for More: Checking in on New York’s CPF Programs

ICYMI from Benton

• NDIA and Government Offer Joint Status Report in Digital Equity Act Case 
• Did the FCC Answer the Broadband Deployment Question Congress Asked?
• Designing Purposeful Technology Policy for Schools
• FCC Adopts USAC Reform NPRM

Upcoming Events

Aug 26—Permitting That Delivers: Practical Tools & Strategies for Broadband Buildouts (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)

Aug 26—Can the United States Win the AI Race if Americans Oppose Data Centers? (Information Technology & Innovation Foundation)

Aug 27—Books and Broadband: Advancing Rural Connectivity and Early Literacy Through Strategic Partnership (Fiber Broadband Association)

Aug 27—Bridging the Last Mile: How Fiber and Next-Gen Fixed Wireless Can Work Together to Accelerate Broadband Expansion (Fiber Broadband Association)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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