Westmoreland broadband survey identifies service gaps
Dec. 5—Westmoreland County officials said an appeal will be filed early next year challenging data published by the Federal Communications Commission that claims most local homes and businesses have adequate high-speed internet service.
That appeal will be based on preliminary results from a local study conducted this summer and fall that indicated about half of county residents could have unreliable broadband service.
"The FCC maps show most of the county has 100% service, and we believe our service is not to that extent," said Corey Block, a senior planner with Westmoreland County.
Local officials believe preliminary data culled from the county's broadband survey that was completed in October will show specific areas where there is unreliable high-speed internet service, counting general estimates provided by the federal government.
Less than half of the more than 2,500 people who participated in the county's survey, 48%, rated their internet service as "reliable," according to the survey results.
Local leaders said reliable broadband service will be a key growth for Westmoreland County, which has seen its population decline in recent decades.
Dan DeBone, president of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, said broadband upgrades will help maintain an employee base that has seen more people work from home and ensure local businesses remain vibrant and have a larger reach.
"Having adequate and efficient broadband is going to keep our businesses here," DeBone said. "Westmoreland County is such a beautiful place, and broadband will help business everywhere, even our little mom and pop stores, to larger corporations."
Preliminary data from the survey suggested residents in more than 20 of the county's 65 municipalities had internet service that fell below federal standards based on self-reported tests of internet speeds.
Those underserved areas included rural communities such as Cook, Derry, Fairfield, Ligonier, Upper Burrell and South Huntingdon townships.
Derry Township, with its 94 square miles in one of the most rural parts of Westmoreland County, had the second highest number of residents who participated in the survey. Preliminary results indicated the township was among the handful of communities with the slowest internet speeds.
"We've been getting calls about this for the last couple of years," said Dave Slifka, chairman of the Derry Township board of supervisors. "I wasn't surprised we had that many people do the survey. It's a dire need."
About half of survey respondents said their internet service is provided through local cable companies, while more than 12% of participants said they used an antiquated DSL system for their home or business internet.
The study, conducted by Michael Baker International, relied on both survey responses and technicians who traveled throughout local communities to assess broadband infrastructure and record technical data such as download and upload speeds.
Early reports suggested as much as 71% of county residents could have broadband service below federal standards. Average download speeds of 100 megabits per second is needed for reliable internet service, officials said. Westmoreland's preliminary survey results found many communities below that threshold, including in Derry Township, where download speeds averaged just 54 megabits per second.
"We're expecting a more comprehensive view when the full study is released early next year," Block said. "Michael Baker will provide data based on address, and we'll be able to extrapolate and confirm that certain areas are not served."
The county will take data from its study to challenge the federal broadband service maps that will be used by the government to make decisions about the funding of projects to upgrade internet infrastructure, she said.
Meanwhile, in January, the county officials are expected to announce two small-scale projects to upgrade broadband infrastructure in underserved communities, Block said.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .
