Signing on: Westmoreland's 'high priority areas' soon to get online

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring to bring internet service to four high priority areas of Westmoreland County (PA). Westmoreland County commissioners have partnered with Verizon to bring broadband service to 400 locations in parts of Derry, Fairfield and Ligonier townships that currently have no service. The total cost of the project is $3.5 million, with the county picking up $1.7 million, or 48 percent of the total cost, and Verizon contributing $1.8 million or 52 percent of the cost. Construction of the necessary infrastructure is expected to take a year, with county funding coming from Westmoreland’s share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, economic stimulus legislation that was enacted in 2021. The sites without internet access were identified in a 2023 feasibility report. The next step in the Westmoreland Broadband Program is a competitive bidding process to identify internet service providers interested in partnering with the county to expand service to other places lacking adequate service. Contract awards are expected to be announced in early spring. Residents can find out whether their home has adequate broadband service by referring to the county’s new service area map.