Pennsylvania Awards First $448 Million in BEAD Funding
The grants will support broadband projects in 50 counties in the Commonwealth
WASHINGTON Oct. 5, 2026 – Pennsylvania has awarded more than $448 million to broadband projects expected to expand high-speed internet access to about 71,000 homes and businesses across 50 counties.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, D, announced Oct. 2 the state has awarded more than $448 million in federal broadband funding to projects in 50 counties, marking the state’s first round of grants under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, following the approval of the state’s $711 million BEAD proposal by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in April.
The state originally received $1.16 billion under the $42.45 billion federal program.
The state’s announcement comes as other states move from BEAD planning into construction and supplemental funding rounds. NTIA has said states can use remaining BEAD money to address locations that were left out of their original plans.
The projects are expected to expand high-speed internet access to about 71,000 homes and businesses, according to Pennsylvania officials. The state said it plans to distribute all remaining BEAD funds before the end of 2026.
Shapiro said the state is working to connect the remaining locations over the next four years.
“I promised to connect every Pennsylvanian to high-speed, affordable internet by the end of the decade,” Shapiro said at Bald Eagle High School in Centre County, Pa.
The awards include projects from nine providers and organizations, including Frontier Communications, Brightspeed, CoreConnect, IBT Group USA, Upward Broadband and Verizon. The projects will use a mix of fiber and fixed wireless technology and will also support multi-family deployments, network upgrades, planning and engineering.
Neither Starlink nor Amazon Leo was included among the providers receiving funding in the first round of awards.
Verizon, for example, will invest $40 million in a project serving nearly 3,000 homes and businesses in Centre and Mifflin counties. The company will receive $28.85 million in BEAD funding for the project.
Pennsylvania officials said the state has reduced the number of households and businesses without high-speed internet from more than 330,000 in 2022 to fewer than 133,000 today. The administration said more than 198,000 locations have been connected since 2022.
Pennsylvania has also launched a website where residents can check when the state expects their location to receive broadband service.
