Media Contact: Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509 will.wiquist@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC AUTHORIZES $2.6 MILLION TO BRING GIGABIT-SPEED BROADBAND TO NEARLY 2,000 NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOMES AND BUSINESSES WASHINGTON, April 14, 2020—The Federal Communications Commission today authorized $2,642,413 in funding over ten years to expand broadband in rural northwestern Pennsylvania. With this tranche of FCC support, Armstrong Telecommunications has committed to providing broadband at speeds of at least 1 Gbps/500 Mbps to an estimated 1,949 unserved rural homes and businesses in Crawford, Erie, and Mercer counties. This announcement brings the total Connect America Fund Phase II auction support for Pennsylvania to $36,655,925 for 9,673 locations. “Getting gigabit-speed broadband to rural communities in northwestern Pennsylvania will make a real difference in the region,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “Nearly 2,000 rural homes and businesses that don’t currently have broadband service will get connected to some of the highest speed internet available through this support. I’m glad the FCC can help bridge the digital divide in rural Pennsylvania, and we look forward to continuing to find ways to make a difference in these communities.” Broadband providers in Pennsylvania that receive funding through the FCC’s Connect America Fund must build out to 40% of the assigned homes and businesses within three years. Buildout must increase by 20% in each subsequent year, until complete buildout is reached at the end of the sixth year. County Company Minimum Speed Support/10 Years Locations Crawford Armstrong Telecommunications 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $46,800 64 Erie Armstrong Telecommunications 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $2,586,608 1,876 Mercer Armstrong Telecommunications 1 Gbps/500 Mbps $9,005 9 In total, the 2018 Connect America Fund auction allocated $1.488 billion in support over the next ten years to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses in 45 states. The FCC has now authorized eleven waves of funding with over $1.4 billion authorized thus far. Funding rounds will continue until the authorization process is complete. A map of winning bids in the Auction is available at: https://go.usa.gov/xdHpG. The Connect America Fund Phase II auction is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America. In January, the FCC took its biggest single step to date toward closing the rural digital divide by establishing the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will direct up to $20.4 billion to expand broadband in unserved rural areas – including up to 197,833 preliminarily eligible homes and businesses in Pennsylvania. Chairman Pai has also proposed a $9 billion 5G Fund to support carriers in deploying advanced mobile wireless services in rural America with $1 billion dedicated to precision agriculture needs. ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).