Improved Internet sought
Fay-Penn Economic Development Council along with Fayette County commissioners Vincent Zapotosky and Vincent A. Vicites are announcing a cooperative effort to work towards achieving high-speed broadband service throughout the county. Zapotosky said money is available in the federal stimulus bill that could help areas without it get the high-speed service, and the county will have to go after it. According to a press release from Fay-Penn, the U.S. Department of Commerce will appropriate $4.7 billion to establish a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program for eligible entities to develop and expand broadband services to rural and underserved areas and also to improve access to public safety agencies.
Although the project is in the conceptual stage, Zapotosky said the participation of numerous agencies is needed to make the project viable.
Zapotosky, Vicites, and Fay-Penn have collaborated with the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, Fayette County 9-1-1, Community Action Agency of Fayette County, Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, Redevelopment Authority of the City of Uniontown, and other groups to explore vital areas that will improve broadband service.
Zapotosky said Fay-Penn will conduct an economic needs assessment and later a study will be done to determine exactly where towers are needed.
“There’s money out there and we are trying to prepare as much as possible,” Zapotosky said.
Zapotosky said when the application for the money is made, it will be a competitive process in which need must be shown.
“It is critical for Fayette County to stay competitive with other rural counties in Pennsylvania that are currently making the necessary changes and improvements to their broadband systems. An aggressive broadband project has the potential to help many people in the county – in so many ways – and we should work together to do everything we can to make this happen,” Vicites said.
Emergency management director Roy Shipley said improving the service for the county is crucial to make the public safety services more efficient and progressive.
Shipley said development of additional broadband service in the county this can give his agency additional options to improve delivery of services to the county residents and businesses.
He said improvement to the overall system would mean a more prepared and technologically advanced public health system.
Shipley said, for example, if technology were distributed to more rural health care settings, there would be the bandwidth capability to send X-rays to the appropriate hospitals to diagnose patients more effectively.
“Not only will it improve communications for better emergency management service, but it would create opportunities for economic development, improve education and health care,” said Fay-Penn CEO Mike Krajovic.
Krajovic said the development would improve communication at schools, as teachers would have the ability to post homework assignments online and school announcements and activities would be more accessible to the public.
“We hope to secure federal stimulus funding to make the project financially feasible. But the goal is not just to have a modern broadband system, but we want a system that is also affordable for all our residents to use,” said Zapotosky. “Also, the ability to access is of concern not only in the public arena, but of pressing importance to our individual citizens who deserve this essential technology. This type of project will have a positive impact on Fayette County for decades to come.”
Barry Seneri, economic development manager for Fay-Penn, said obtaining the technology would be an incentive for both economic activity and to attract business and families to the county.
“Both small and large businesses will be able to use high speed Internet access to improve operations,” Seneri said.
The county previously has hired Delta Development Group Inc. as a consultant to help with the application development and look for other funding sources for projects authorized by the commissioners. Currently Fay-Penn is collaborating with Delta Development in providing them with data on the economic conditions and impact that the high-speed broadband projects would have on Fayette County.
“This is a perfect example of a countywide project that we can all pull together to support because it will benefit all municipalities in Fayette County,” said Bob Junk, local economy and strategic plan manager for Fay-Penn.
Junk said as broadband projects are developed, assistance from federal legislators will be needed to secure funding.
Zapotosky said as the projects are defined, he would bring them to the commissioners meetings for review and approval.
Anyone with questions or comments on this collaborative effort should e-mail them to bobj@faypenn.org.