The Greene County Board of Commissioners was recently awarded $50,000 by the Appalachian Regional Commission for a study that will determine needs regarding broadband connection in the county, a top-ranked issue in the area.

The comprehensive plan for Greene County was updated in 2018, identifying current needs in the community which would need to be addressed. According to the plan, the biggest issue identified was the lack of sufficient broadband access across the county.

The study, titled the Rural Broadband Coverage and Feasibility Study, “will identify county-wide gaps in broadband access and will determine the best technology to fill these gaps (such as fiber, white space, cable, and DSL),” according to a press release issued by the Wolf Administration. “[It] will review the county’s broadband assets, conduct a field survey of existing broadband access, determine customer demand, identify the best technology options for service gaps and develop an implementation matrix.”

Although the study may provide new information, Blair Zimmerman, chair of the Greene County Board of Commissioners, said the commissioners and Pennsylvania State Representative Pam Snyder have been working on getting an improved broadband connection for years.

“I’ve had calls with people all over this country,” Zimmerman said. “We are hopeful, but this thing has been ongoing for years, and it’s not an easy fix.”

Although the need is clear, Zimmerman said the main reason for the difficulty in resolving the issue is the lack of funds to implement a solution. Usually when there is money, he explained, it will likely go toward issues in larger cities and communities. Despite this, they continue to pursue solutions.

“If you keep pursuing it and look at different options … sooner or later, it’s going to happen,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of experts come in and talk to us about their ideas, and what they think would work, and we have included the university in that.”

Zimmerman said expanding broadband access in the community is their priority, as the lack of it in areas slows the growth of the industry in the county and presents issues in education.

“Our children go to school and they have internet. They can do their homework; they stay on top of stuff. When they go home, they lose out and that’s not a good thing. Our kids are at a disadvantage for not having that,” Zimmerman said. “That’s just a little bit of the stuff I hear all the time.”

Although they do not have the grant yet, Zimmerman said the money should be available soon, and they are eager to push the project in the right direction.

“One of the most-asked questions is, ‘Why can’t we get broadband,’ so that’s our priority … If you want the county to grow and you want to bring industry in, you better have it.”