Pennsylvania public spaces are getting $45 Million to boost internet access and close the digital divide

Public spaces across Pennsylvania are about to get an internet upgrade. The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) announced $45 million in funding for the Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program, which provides money to community organizations and local governments to upgrade public facilities. The program will provide grants to 49 projects in 26 counties across the commonwealth. The grants will go toward building and improving public spaces such as schools, libraries, community centers and healthcare facilities for free, high-speed internet. Seven projects in Philadelphia were approved for funding, including two projects from the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT), which received $2 million in grants.