Broadband Expansion

Access to reliable broadband is a concern throughout Columbia County. Expanding broadband access has been identified as a local priority by the Columbia County Commissioners, local school districts, and the Briar Creek Township and North Centre Township Multimunicipal Comprehensive Plan. Columbia County is in need of a plan to enhance and expand broadband availability for students, professionals, telehealth patients, and all community members will assist the community in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing them to engage in learning, working, and purchasing household items more easily from home.  

 

There are several local organizations currently working on broadband access in Columbia County. There are two local organizations that recently received a Connect Humanity grant: DRIVE, which is working on broadband access for Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Union, and Snyder Counties, and Briar Creek Township which is in a key geographic location to expand broadband access north of the I-80 corridor. SEDA-COG, which includes Columbia County, received an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant to expand broadband access in nearby Northumberland, Union, Clinton, and Lycoming counties. This project will leverage these resources to develop a coordinated plan focused on Columbia County.