$6M Broadband Investment Paying Off for Berks County, Pa.

(TNS) — Nearly two years ago, the Berks County commissioners were told about a problem.

Berks, like many other counties across the country, was facing a digital divide. There was a widening, increasingly troublesome gap between those with Internet access and the skills to use it and those without.

That realization was laid bare in a study conducted by an independent contractor that took a look at broadband access and availability. The study was funded by the county in partnership with the United Way of Berks County, the Berks Alliance and the Wyomissing Foundation.

At a meeting in November 2022 the commissioners were presented with the results of that study. And, seeing a need for things to change, they committed $6.3 million to addressing the challenges the study highlighted.

On Tuesday, the commissioners received an update on the impact that funding has had. And, so far, the news is positive.

THE STUDY

The study found that there are parts of Berks that are unserved or underserved when it comes to broadband Internet and that there is a need to increase digital literacy, particularly among older residents.

The key findings from the study included:

• There are clear gaps in broadband infrastructure that have a direct impact on residents, businesses and service organizations.
• There is a critical need to improve digital literacy among residents. That refers to the ability of people to navigate, evaluate and communicate information online.
• There are opportunities to improve outreach to those who are unserved or underserved by working with willing partners.
• There is a general satisfaction with speed and reliability of current Internet services but a concern about the lack of competition for Internet providers in some communities.
  

To deal with those issues, the study recommended the county take several steps. They included:

1. Allocate $5.7 million toward infrastructure projects with the intent of leveraging this investment into more thorough grants, partnerships and other funding.

2. Actively pursue grant or private funding to address broadband connectivity gaps.

3. Allocate $600,000 to fund digital literacy programs.

4. Initiate dialog with neighboring counties to identify opportunities for collaboration.

5. Continue dialogue with new and incumbent carriers to identify opportunities for collaboration to address the unserved and underserved.

6. Collaborate with municipalities, authorities and other stakeholders to look at opportunities for infrastructure build-out including right of way and “dig once” opportunities.

THE RESULTS

The commissioners in 2022 agreed to move forward with the recommendations in the study, allocating $6.7 million to do so.

Representatives of the Berks County Digital Equity Coalition, which was created to tackle the issues raised in the study, last week provided the commissioners with an update on how the effort is going.

Dave Myers said some of that money has been used to support digital literacy initiatives:

• A Berks County Intermediate Unit digital navigation specialist has been working with residents in Hamburg.
• The Berks Community Health Center has expanded blood pressure monitoring and education through enhanced patient digital literacy.
• Connections Work has hired a digital navigator to help people involved in the criminal justice system gain the skills needed to find employment.
  

“The investment the county made has been very significant in making the progress that we have seen so far in Berks County,” Myers said. “But it has also sent a statement to the rest of Pennsylvania that Berks County sees this as important.”

Myers noted additional contributions from other entities that are making an impact:

• Reading City Council allocated money to the Reading Public Library to add a bilingual digital navigator to its staff.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry awarded a grant to Berks Tec Centro to support digital literacy instruction.
  

Myers said the coalition will continue to work with partners to help secure federal and state funding who specifically agree to assist residents who face specific challenges to achieving digital equity.

He noted the targets of these efforts include people who are older, those involved in the justice system, residents of rural communities, those who have a limited income, veterans, racial and ethnic minorities and individuals with health issues.

Myers said the coalition website regularly posts information about funding opportunities that become available to help support initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to the goal of inclusion articulated in its digital equity plan.

They have also adopted a process to provide letters of support to organizations that apply for these funding opportunities.

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