HARRISBURG – The Senate Communications and Technology Committee, chaired by Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), approved two resolutions today that will assess the state’s deployment of broadband.
The resolutions, both sponsored by Phillips-Hill, are a concerted effort to improve broadband access for commonwealth residents.
Senate Resolution 47 would establish a bipartisan and bicameral commission to recommend improvements for the deployment of high-speed internet in unserved and underserved areas. Senate Resolution 48 will direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an in-depth investigation and audit into the compliance of telecommunications carriers with prior state laws that required the deployment of broadband in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
“Our state faces significant challenges in closing the digital divide. In order to make impactful investments in the future, we need to determine what has worked in the past, and which areas show the greatest need for high-speed internet,” Phillips-Hill said. “We’ve seen the state squander hundreds of millions of dollars through the failed statewide radio system. We must learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure taxpayer dollars, if used to assist with the deployment of broadband, are not wasted in the future.”
Both resolutions move to the full Senate for consideration.