FAQs

Beaver County Office of Planning & Redevelopment is advancing the Connect Beaver County Broadband Program to deliver high-speed internet to the communities across the county that need it most. The Beaver County Planning Commission has provided critical support and leadership through the planning phase and leading to program development.

The Beaver County Commissioners have approved the use of nearly $20 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to bring high-speed internet to the communities across the county that need it most. Through this program, broadband service access will be delivered to parts of 24 municipalities that are unserved or underserved. Per federal requirements, funding was successfully allocated before 2024 and all projects will be completed before the end of 2026. Locations that were previously identified as part of RDOF will receive service by the end of 2028, with efforts being made to bring new connection as quickly as possible. Beaver County is committed to doing everything it can to connect residents and businesses as quickly as possible, with some very remote locations potentially requiring additional time for access.  Please join the email list for direct updates.

The Beaver County Commissioners have approved the use of nearly $20 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and is being developed by Beaver County through the Office of Planning and Redevelopment. 

The Beaver County Broadband Data Collection & Feasibility Study identified locations that are unserved and underserved with poor mobile and fixed broadband service speeds as top priorities for access to new service. Visit the About the Program page to see the Beaver County Broadband Connectivity Opportunity Areas identified map.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently defines high-speed internet at 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload, which is not adequate given the speeds required for today’s lifestyle, such as teleworking, conducting schoolwork, and managing social needs.  For the purposes of this program, underserved and unserved are defined as follows: 

• Unserved - Locations with no access to wired internet service at speeds that meet the FCC threshold of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, meaning the internet connection is slow and unreliable or nonexistent.  

• Underserved - Locations where internet service is at or above speeds of 25/3 Mbps or higher, but less than 100/20 Mbps, leading to slow or unreliable service. 

The County has identified Connectivity Opportunity Areas in 24 municipalities. The Project Team is working with the providers to establish a specific timeline for expanding service into those areas that have been identified as unserved and underserved. If your location is not included in the Opportunity Area map and your area is currently unserved, please contact us for more information.

Early Action Projects allow the county to assess the process of delivering service to two Connectivity Opportunity Areas to confirm the best approach to project development, establish success factors and work closely with two reputable providers prior to initiating connectivity projects in the remaining parts of the county.  The projects selected are in areas that are close to locations that already have existing services, making it more efficient to access and construct expeditiously. 

To support broadband access, adoption, and digital equity needs, a Digital Navigator Program was developed to inquire about the feasibility and other aspects of successfully supporting a digital navigator program in the County in the future. Digital navigators or coaches are trained staff who work with residents on digital literacy including home connectivity, device setup, and digital skill building. They are also familiar with how to apply for social service resources online and provide guidance upon request.

The Lifeline Program offers qualifying households a monthly discount to use toward the cost of phone, internet, or bundled services. For more information, please visit the Affordability page.

RDOF an acronym for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which is a federally operated program through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and an FCC initiative designed to bring high-speed fixed broadband service to rural areas of the country that are considered unserved (25 mbps download/3 mbps upload). RDOF will disburse up to $20.4 billion over 10 years to bring fixed broadband to unserved locations in rural America. Phase I of the RDOF started in 2020 and carriers must complete deployment of service by the eighth year of the program. Kinetic is now providing service to census block-eligible RDOF locations in Beaver County and is scheduled to have work completed by December 2028.  

For more information, review the Non-project Broadband Expansion tab on the About the Program page. 

No. Mobile wireless connectivity is spotty throughout the county. Mapping issued by the FCC is in the process of being updated. As part of this program, Beaver County is also performing a Mobile Connectivity Study to submit allowable challenges to the federal data to best support the pursuit of mobile broadband funding. This study will begin after the ISPs are identified for the existing Connectivity Opportunity Areas identified for new service as part of this program.  

No. Broadband service is not classified as a cable service by the FCC and is not subject to a franchise fee by the Local Franchise Authority (municipality).  The federal government allows municipalities to collect fees up to 5% on cable services through franchise fees, which are only applicable to what the FCC determines to be “Cable Services”.

To see the latest update, please view our News & Updates page. If you would like to be notified when new updates are added, please sign up for our email list.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has closed for now. If you are looking for more information about the former ACP, please refer to the wind-down resources provided by the FCC linked on our Affordability page.

More than 2,000 locations will be connected as part of this project. To view included locations, please visit the About the Program page and follow instructions to search for an address. If you are unclear about the results, please use the Contact Us page and we will offer assistance.