State officials have maintained an emphasis on Internet access as the pandemic continues to place a strain on schools like those in the Moniteau School District and workers who live in rural parts of the county.

“It becomes an equity issue,” said Moniteau School District Superintendent Thomas Samosky. “We want all kids to have the same kind of opportunities, no matter what their financial status.”

This week Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law Act 132 of 2020, which created the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Funding Program, which includes about $5 million to start with. The program will provide grants in support of broadband Internet expansion in areas most in need of these services.

In a news release Friday, state Rep. Martin Causer, R-67th, said broadband Internet access is “a necessity, not a luxury” as exhibited by the pandemic.

“Our students and teachers need it to improve educational opportunities. Businesses need it to stay competitive and better serve their customers. And our doctors and patients need it to improve access to health care,” Causer said.

Nongovernmental entities will be able to apply for the grants as long as they can operate broadband services through wireline or fixed wireless technology, which can include rural electric cooperatives and local development districts.

The entities would also have to provide 25% of funding for the project, and that funding cannot count state or local grants, loans or subsidies, as part of the matching funds.

Earlier this month, Wolf also signed Act 98 of 2020 into law, a bill that originated in the state House, and one where state Sen. Joe Pittman, R-41st, introduced the Senate's companion bill.

Act 98 of 2020 allows electric cooperatives to use existing utility poles for broadband fiber lines, as long as it doesn't negatively impact the value or use of the property.

In a Nov. 16 statement, Pittman said he was pleased with the progress, but hoped the expansion could be expedited.

“The coronavirus exposed many unnecessary technological weaknesses in Pennsylvania, in particular the lack of broadband Internet access,” Pittman said. “As a member of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, I recognize this need, and my colleagues and I have worked to address it.”

Essential to learning

One apparent area of need as the pandemic moved many facets of life online was Internet access for school children.

Samosky said Moniteau has a contingent of students who do not have access to high-speed Internet, which becomes more important when streaming video and conference call lectures.

“It is particularly in the northern sector of our district, we struggle with cable connection,” Samosky said. “We have been able to address some of those concerns with wireless access points.”

An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, which produces a Wi-Fi signal in a designated area.

Access points take time, money and energy to set up and run, unlike if a family had their own access to high-speed Internet. Samosky said some families do have satellite DSL or satellite providers, but cable typically provides faster connections.

“One blessing that is coming from the pandemic is the state is recognizing the importance of providing connectivity for everyone throughout the state,” Samosky said.

Download speed

According to the Federal Communications Commission, just one student or telecommuting adult may need between 5 and 25 Mbps download speed.

With households with two parents working from home and kids using the Internet for school, the bandwidth could quickly become strained, slowing down Internet speeds for everyone using it.

As a comparison, some DSL providers can offer between 10 and 50 Mbps download speeds while cable modem and fiber-optic providers can offer speeds between 25 and well over 300 Mbps.

Also, typically in more rural areas, speeds offered aren't as fast as those in urban areas, and that exists across the spectrum of providers.

Some companies have been working with government officials to help alleviate the burden of the strained Internet infrastructure.

“We recognize that many of our customers continue to experience challenges related to increased virtual learning requirements in our service areas,” said Jeff Ross, president of Armstrong Utilities, based in Butler, in a news release Wednesday.

Starting Thursday, Armstrong expanded its customers monthly allowance on data plans by 500 gigabytes per month across the board. Zoom Express now has 800 GB, Zoom Internet has 1.5 TB and Zoom II has 2.5 TB limits.

Armstrong also opened all its Wi-Fi Hot Spots in its service areas to the general public. There is a list of locations on its website, but one of those hot spots is at the Dassa McKinney Elementary School.

There are also some in Slippery Rock, all around Butler city and township, Saxonburg, and along the corridors of Routes 422, 68 and 8, among others.

“As always, Armstrong will continue to work with accounts that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis,” Ross said.

Cost an issue

Samosky said companies, county officials and now the state have all adjusted their focus to an issue that he hopes will get even further attention in the future, but for now means the children of Moniteau continue to get their education.

“Right now, I believe 100 percent of our families are covered,” Samosky said.

He said he hopes as the infrastructure grows, it will also bring attention to another aspect of the lack of Internet in rural communities, which is cost.

Not everyone can afford a monthly Internet bill.

“I want to see all kids have equal access to education. The coronavirus has shown us that distance learning and cyber education is not going away,” Samosky said.