Westmoreland broadband installations to begin this spring

Work to install new high-speed internet service to as many as 400 Westmoreland County residents unserved by broadband is set to begin this spring.

County officials announced Wednesday that after months of delays, crews will soon be starting work on the $1.7 million project designed to connect homes in Derry, Fairfield and Ligonier townships to the internet.

Westmoreland County Planning Director Jason Rigone said work is expected to begin in about 30 days.

“We are excited to partner with Verizon to get the people of Westmoreland County the broadband access they so desperately need. Prioritizing the four early action areas allows us to construct and deploy affordable broadband access to those residents who need it the most,” Rigone said.

Commissioners in July approved a $1.7 million contract with Verizon Pennsylvania LLC to install about 30 miles of fiber optic cable as part of four initial projects identified as the county’s first effort into improving broadband services.

Those projects were conceived in response to a county-wide survey conducted in 2022 that identified about 3,500 locations in Westmoreland County that were unserved or underserved by high-speed internet.

Rigone said Verizon will install broadband cable in clusters of homes and business in the targeted areas. Notifications will soon be sent out to property owners.

“The infrastructure will be in place and if they want Verizon to connect to their homes they can. It’s not a requirement for them to take it,” Rigone said.

Enhanced broadband access has been a county focus for several years. In addition to the county’s initial installation program, commissioners authorized the allocation of up to $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds received as part of the federal government’s covid relief efforts, to complete additional broadband upgrades throughout the county.

Those plans involve partnerships with national broadband providers to install new service lines that when completed could upgrade internet service for as many as 2,000 residents.

Projects include installation of broadband infrastructure to about 1,000 to 1,200 locations north of Route 30 and another 800 locations south of Route 30. The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority is evaluating those proposals and is expected to make additional federal funding for those proposals this spring, officials said.