Broadband internet survey deadline extended for Westmoreland, other regional counties

Westmoreland County planners have extended the deadline for residents to participate in a study of local broadband internet needs until the end of April.

The online survey is part of an eight-county assessment of infrastructure needs for the service that has become increasingly relevant as more residents have been routed to the internet for work and school during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“We have situations now were both parents are working from home and are having video conferences while the kids are home streaming. In some areas, we know there’s not enough broadband service. I’ve heard stories about kids sitting in school parking lots or having to find public wifi access to do school work,” said Brian Lawrence, deputy director of the county’s planning department.

The survey is part of a $100,000 study by the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission that has been ongoing since January. Westmoreland is the largest county participating but so far has had the fewest responses, Lawrence said.

Homeowners and businesses are being asked about their internet service and how it is used. Surveys can be accessed through the Westmoreland County Planning Department website. Paper copies of the surveys can be requested by calling the department at 724-830-3772.

The goal is to determine what improvements are needed to enhance service.

Better and more reliable internet in the county’s rural areas is essential in luring business and industry, said county Commissioner Doug Chew.

“Now is the time to address this,” he said. “I hear people complaining so they should be filling this out. We cannot accomplish what schools and telemedicine needs us to accomplish if we don’t have good internet.”

Officials this year said preliminary estimates suggest about 2% of county residents don’t have adequate high-speed internet service.

Chew said the county can use information from the survey to seek foundation grants to build infrastructure for more robust internet service that can lure broadband providers to enhance local connectivity.

“In order to get the big boys to come in, you have to get a backbone,” Chew said. “We need to get a fiber optic backbone in place to allow companies to come in a provide service off of our spine.”