Broadband development would improve our area's infrastructure

Are the collective voices of our area enough to be heard?

So many times over the past 50 to 60 years, our area has been left behind. The anthracite region, with a declining population base, a resulting economic collapse and decaying social infrastructure, seemed like a cause for Saint Jude.

Collectively, however, the voices of northeast Pennsylvania are once again being heard, and each of us living here needs to make it known that we count.

The Federal National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) and the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) issued a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and solicitation of applications on July 1, describing the availability of funds and application requirements for the broadband initiatives contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 - NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), and the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP). A total of $12 billion in America Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding has been made available from August through January. The funding designated in the BTOP provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers and to encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. Through this support, BTOP hopes to advance the recovery act's objectives to spur job creation and stimulate long-term economic growth in rural areas.

The funding opportunity description in the federal register clearly states: "The Recovery Act expands RUS's existing authority to make loans and provides new authority to make grants for the purpose of facilitating broadband deployment in rural communities. Specifically, the recovery act requires that 75 percent of a funded area be in a rural area that lacks sufficient access to high-speed broadband service to facilitate economic development."

The development of broadband in the coal region is a critical component for the infrastructure of our area. It's akin to the highway infrastructure or the nation's electrical grid system. Areas of the country that develop a highly sophisticated broadband technology base will benefit economically, intellectually and socially.

We are ignored

A close examination of the Pennsylvania's Office of Administration (OA) letter, dated Oct. 14, to the Honorable Lawrence E. Strickling, assistant secretary for Communications and Technology, NTIA, clearly demonstrates that the requirement of 75 percent of this funding which is supposed to go to rural communities is not being completely followed. In fact, many good projects were bypassed in rural areas for projects in metropolitan and city areas throughout the state. A short list of projects receiving support from OA includes Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Delaware County Library System, Philadelphia Housing Authority and Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation.

Detailed examination of the OA's letter to NTIA also reveals many of the funding grants recommended are directly to state agencies, thereby bypassing any real need for scrutiny on what their projects might entail. In discussions with local economic development agencies and others, it is clear that the only local grant that was recommended, of the 100-plus submitted, was for Geisinger Medical Center.

The NTIA has come under scrutiny in recent years regarding using federal funding specifically targeted for rural areas and having it distributed to more metropolitan areas.

Opportunities lost

Many grant proposals from this area were submitted to NTIA under the ARRA Broadband Stimulus Program; however, only one received consideration in this first round. The result of our area being bypassed again means that unique and valuable opportunities to conduct joint research projects and put in place critical infrastructure in northeast Pennsylvania are lost. Broadband is every bit as important in the new green economy as renewable/alternative energy, and will become part of the standard in the future for construction of new and reconstruction of existing buildings.

Northeast and central Pennsylvania are considered "rural" under federal guidelines, and more serious consideration should be given to applications from these areas. We are making strides toward revitalization of our area. Now, Drexel University engineering students are working in the area, in cooperation with the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center.

Broadband needed

If this region is ever to come out of the economic collapse caused by the loss of the coal industry, then the development and implementation of broadband is essential. Without it, we will lose any ability to attract new investors to our region.

Well-planned broadband grants will create jobs and provide for a strategic infrastructure designated to assist in the economic development in the area. Broadband is the interstate highway of the 21st Century, and it will stimulate economic growth and job creation in areas where it is introduced.

Once again, a good federal program that had the communities of our area in mind has become somewhat tainted. The real concern is that this federal stimulus money, which has been specifically designated for rural America and job creation in these areas, will be lost.

Do our voices count? In this case, they should, because we are rural America, and the funding designated through ARRA, as provided in the federal guidelines, should come here first.

Perhaps it is time we pray to Saint Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, to assure our voices are heard at the highest level.

(Bartos is renewable/green energy coordinator for the lower anthracite region through the office of state Rep. Robert E. Belfanti Jr., D-107. "Green Light" appears every other Thursday.)

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