A bill approved by the state Senate aimed at increasing the availability of broadband internet service will be sent to the governor’s office.

The bill, already approved by the House of Representatives, would boost the availability of broadband by reducing regulatory burdens on telecommunications companies and utilizing existing infrastructure to further deploy high-speed internet, said Sen. Joe Pittman, R-41st.

Pittman is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1118, which the Senate approved Wednesday and is the companion to House Bill 2438.

The bill aids in the deployment of broadband by using infrastructure that is already in place for other uses. The bill would allow electric cooperatives to utilize existing utility poles to place fiber-optic lines if the placement does not adversely affect the value or use of the property.

“The infrastructure necessary to expand broadband exists, but outdated easements that were originally intended for electricity or telegraph lines do not specifically allow broadband lines to be placed on existing utility poles,” Pittman said. “That means cooperatives must reopen easement agreements just to clarify that the existing infrastructure can be used for broadband purposes. That is a costly and cumbersome burden when you consider all of the potential easements that would have to be revisited.”

The 13 electric distribution cooperatives in Pennsylvania are not-for-profit, member-owned utilities that provide affordable and reliable electric service to hundreds of thousands of consumers in rural areas. Overall, Pennsylvania’s cooperatives own and maintain about 12.5 percent of the electric distribution lines in the state, covering nearly one-third of the state’s land area in 42 counties. These lines, an essential component of rural business and industry, represent one of the state’s largest non-governmental investments in rural infrastructure, Pittman said.