Everyone in Pa. has access to broadband — at least, according to the definition set by state lawmakers in the early 2000s. But ask residents of rural areas about their internet speeds, and you’ll likely hear about slow connections and outdated technology.
HARRISBURG — Everyone in Pennsylvania has access to broadband — at least, according to the definition set by state lawmakers in the early 2000s.
The 1993 law defined broadband as a minimum download speed of 1.544 megabits per second — blazing fast at the time. By the early 2000s, though, some industry experts warned lawmakers that the original standard would soon be obsolete. During a 2003 hearing, Rep. Fred McIlhattan , who represented a rural district in Western Pennsylvania, worried that “rural will only get one shot probably for quite a while.”
One phone company executive reassured him that Pennsylvania’s definition of broadband was “a lot more aggressive” than the federal government’s. A bipartisan state report from 2020 confirmed that the phone companies complied with the law. In interviews with Spotlight PA, industry representatives said the state’s definition of broadband is only a baseline and most customers can get far higher speeds.
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