Broadband expansion hitting high speed in Washington County
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Washington County Authority Director John Timney, right, conducts an internet speed test at the Century Inn in Scenery Hill while Joe McGuinness of DQE Communications looks on in this photo from December.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
North Bethlehem Township Supervisor James Dudt points to a map showing the areas around Scenery Hill selected for possible broadband expansion during a meeting last month at the Century Inn.
John Timney let out an enthusiastic shout as the internet speed test at the Century Inn climbed to nearly a gig showing how the recent installation of broadband in Scenery Hill is already paying dividends for the community.
“Woooooooo!” Timney exclaimed as his laptop on the restaurant’s bar showed 825 megabits of high-speed internet pumping through the historic building’s veins. “Congratulations! How about a round of applause?”
Timney, the director of the Washington County Authority, was at the center of a gathering Friday afternoon at the Century Inn restaurant to explain the success of the county’s broadband rollout and what’s next for the expansion project. Telecommunication representatives and various government officials met for the speed test and later discussed what’s on the horizon for next year.
Washington County launched its broadband initiative in January by partnering with Hickory Telephone for a pilot program to provide high-speed internet to 50 homes and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village. With that success, the county branched out with more projects over the summer, focusing on several towns along Route 40 while working with DQE Communications, which recently completed the work and is now reaching out to potential customers to sign up for the service.
“The backbone is complete,” said Joe McGuinness, director of sales for DQE. “This is a partnership, and it has been so since the beginning.”
With the early stages complete, the county is now embarking on its most ambitious phase with a multi-year plan to bring broadband to up to 6,500 underserved customers in 10 areas. The county put out requests for proposals Tuesday with a deadline for vendors to respond by Jan. 29. Once that’s complete, the county is expected to review proposals and the authority will make recommendations in the spring for the county commissioners to choose what projects to pursue.
“The Avella pilot was to prove the entire concept,” Timney said. “We want to celebrate that process. … That was successful. Now we want to go bigger.”
State Rep. Bud Cook, R-Daisytown, said broadband can be an economic driver for rural areas to bring in new business opportunities.
“We need to retain young people and attract new (residents),” Cook said. “This becomes a selling point.”
That was welcome news to Dave Fava, a farmer north of Bentleyville who said his area often has been left behind. But that will change with the introduction of high-speed internet, which will be essential when he plans to begin operating a robotic dairy farm next year. Without broadband, he wouldn’t be able to run the technology that includes “robotic milkers” that will automatically notify him about the process.
“Being in a rural area, I’m interested in how I can use that technology … for the efficiency of the equipment,” Fava said. “Those robots will be communicating with me if there’s a problem. This technology can’t be run off the old internet.”
He said farms in rural areas are become more technologically advanced, making broadband important for his line of work.
“The agriculture community is becoming more advanced as time goes on,” Fava said.
While the county commissioners have earmarked $30 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money, they’re also pursuing various other grants and partnering with area telecommunication companies to have them pick up some of the costs. Commissioner Larry Maggi said Washington County is becoming a leader in the region on how it’s rolling out broadband expansion in rural areas.
“We’ve become the benchmark (where) other counties look toward us,” Maggi said.