Who has the worst internet service in Bucks County? Feds task Verizon to fix 10 dead zones
What good is a wildflower preserve without WiFi?
Visitors to the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in Upper Makefield will find a bounty of botany but few bars on their smartphones. With internet speeds rated at or below 25 MBs (megabytes per second), you couldn't even stream Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe through the Tulips," according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Bowman’s is one of 10 Bucks County internet dead zones ― locations identified by the FCC with internet speeds less than 25 MB per second.
The FCC considers 25 MBs to be lowest speed considered broadband, allowing multiple streams of data to be sent simultaneously across multiple frequencies. With 25 MBs, about three people could simultaneously connect to the web, send email or text messages on a network. You'd need about 50 MBs to connect on a Zoom call, stream a non-high definition video, connect a doorbell security camera, or stream music.
Access to high-speed internet became a necessity for many during the pandemic, as millions of employees transitioned to working from home and schools began virtual classes.
Verizon is now under contract with the FCC to eliminate all of Bucks County's internet dead zones and the company said Friday it expects to tackle them all by 2025.
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, set aside $65 billion to improve internet service nationwide. The $1.6 million contract with Verizon PA requires the company to improve coverage in 669 locations across Pennsylvania, including 10 in Bucks County.
Here's a look at the places in Bucks with some of the worst internet coverage, according to the FCC.
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Who has the worst internet service in Bucks County?
Maple Beach in Bristol Township
Along the Delaware River near the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, Maple Beach was once consider an ideal location for an auto raceway, ethanol plant, and even a soccer stadium. Yet it remains a barren landscape save for three waterfront homes where the internet speed is as changeable as the river tides, according to the FCC.
Homes on Beachway Road are so off-the-grid, you can't get there without ignoring a dozen signs that read "No Trespassing." The DOW Chemical company owns much of the beach property and doesn't want anyone wandering the grounds except for the three families who call it home.
Lakeside in Bristol Township
Just north of the Levittown Shopping Center, police often patrol Route 13 in search of drivers going well above the posted speed limit. Ironically, the area is also known to have some of the slowest internet service in Bucks County, according to the FCC.
According to the government, the affected dead zone area stretches across parts of Levittown's Lakeside section and the Village of Pennbrook apartments. Internet speeds fall well below 25 MB per second, according to the FCC.
Eddington in Bensalem
A stone's throw from Neshaminy State Park, Bensalem is home to a massive industrial park in serious need of improved internet coverage, according to the FCC. The Bensalem industrial park is home to laboratories, hydraulics and plastics manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies.
Truck traffic here is constant. The internet is sporadic.
Woodbourne in Middletown
Just north of the Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown, two of the nation's busiest highways converge in an area that's also an internet dead zone, according to the FCC. The interchange at Route 1 and Route 295 has speeds that fall below 25 MBs.
According to the government, the weak coverage area also impacts hotels and office parks just outside the mall as well as a ring of single-family homes located off Woodbourne Road.
Warminster Heights in Warminster
The final internet dead zone identified in Lower Bucks County is located near the intersection of County Line and Shoemaker roads in Upper Southampton.
That dead zone extends over the Huntingdon Valley Marketplace shopping center, the Southampton Estates retirement community, and the Frank J. Pileggi Park ― all places where it's hard to connect, according to the FCC.
Rushland in Wrightstown
The federal government's plan to ensure everyone has access to high-speed internet will result in high-speed internet coverage in some of the most remote places including a stone quarry.
Rushland's internet dead zone includes the Inkling's Book Shop & Art Gallery, Davis Feed Mill, Eureka Stone Quarry, as well as a handful of single-family homes.
Sweetbriar in Buckingham
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will also bring high-speed internet to farmers and ranchers along Sweetbriar Road in Buckingham. The identified area includes two equine centers and the AGA Farms known for its Christmas trees and pumpkin patches.
Stump Road in Solebury
Finally, high-speed internet is also planned for the patchwork of farms along Stump Road in Solebury. The area includes the Cabin and Sirius equestrian centers, the Red Rox and Hunter Hill farms near the intersection of Wismer and Stump roads.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Poor internet speed reported in Bensalem, Bristol, Middletown, Warminster
