As Pennsylvania charts a path forward from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, a recent analysis of census data conducted by Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, estimates the commonwealth saw its rural population shrink by 4.7% from 2010 to 2020, among the steepest declines in the nation.
Faced with fewer residents and an increased workforce shortage, rural communities have embraced online education and telecommuting to remain economically viable. However, despite the widespread adoption of virtual classrooms and online workspaces, access to affordable broadband internet continues to loom as a critical concern for many residents in the commonwealth hoping to adapt to new opportunities while also working to preserve their quality of life.
Recently, the Joint State Government Commission released their second annual report for legislators focused on closing the digital divide in Pennsylvania with a focus on broadband development. The report expands on previous recommendations to create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to monitor broadband utilization and stresses the need for sustained broadband funding.
The timing of the report’s release comes as broadband internet takes on increasing importance in the commonwealth, providing virtual K-12 education for families with young children, an environment in which rural students thrive in hybrid college prep courses and a work landscape that enables Pennsylvanians to work remotely from home as concerns about the Delta variant persist.
Experts have identified access to high-speed, broadband internet, internet-enabled devices, access to digital literacy training, technical support, and online content designed to encourage self-sufficiency as the most effective ways to expand workforce talent pools. An empowered workforce is made up of individuals who have the relevant, modern tools to reach their full potential, because they have the tools, education and training they need to leverage their talents into opportunity. Likewise, that workforce is valuable to employers because they hold the in-demand skills and knowledge needed to remain competitive.
Broadband internet service is not a luxury item simply used to stream movies at home or provide entertainment. It is a vital community resource that residents utilize for education, employment, access to telemedicine, and other essential activities for quality of life. And yet many rural counties in Pennsylvania lack the infrastructure to deliver the type of broadband internet that residents need.
While the Federal Communications Commission estimates as many as 800,000 Pennsylvanians live without high-speed internet, research from Pennsylvania State University estimates the true number of Pennsylvanians without broadband is likely closer to 11 million.
Despite growing dependence on high-speed internet for education and business development, only four states meet or exceed the federal target of 25 megabytes per second (Mpbs) for broadband. Though Pennsylvania is not among them, last year Gov. Tom Wolf announced $15 Million for schools to secure broadband, mobile hot spots and other platforms that increase equitable access to remote learning. Additionally, Pennsylvania could receive $100 million to expand broadband infrastructure and subsidize service and devices for families who have access but can’t afford it as part of the bipartisan infrastructure framework making its way through Congress.
These expansion efforts can have a direct and powerful impact on Pennsylvania businesses when they also extend to higher education and provide pathways for Pennsylvanians to pursue the skills and qualifications employers trust. Efforts should focus on strategic alliances with local businesses to support their human resource objectives and expand access to higher education for their employees through traditional educational offerings and emerging online options that are tailored to work around the schedules of those who must continue to work fulltime while pursuing a degree, regardless of their economic background or geographic location.
Improving access to broadband internet for Pennsylvania’s rural communities enjoys bi-partisan support and is considered a key factor in preparing residents for in-demand careers and in providing local companies with the workforce they need to thrive.
We cannot afford to let a lack of broadband infrastructure reduce economic opportunity in the commonwealth into a landscape comprised of have and have-not communities. Pennsylvania must commit its full attention to closing the digital divide by focusing on infrastructure and working with local businesses on a statewide plan that will make affordable, high-speed broadband available to every resident to begin to address the commonwealth’s 21st century workforce needs.
(Rebecca L. Watts, Ph.D., serves as a regional vice president for Western Governors University.)
