Study shows broadband service lagging in Clarion County

The report recommends setting up a committee or organization dedicated solely to expanding broadband connections in the region.

“Today, development of connectivity is as important to the economic vitality of rural communities as the buildup of transportation and industrial infrastructure was in the ’70s,” said Jill Foys, executive director of the Northwest Planning Commission. “To expand existing and attract new industries, we must have consistent and capable broadband service throughout rural Pennsylvania.

“This study provides the Northwest Pennsylvania region with an understanding of our communications assets as well as its gaps.

“As an area with an abundance of natural resources and activities that attract young people and families, we need the technological infrastructure to allow them to work where they play.”

Who’s connected

Connected Nation conducted extensive surveys of the region and found that, of the eight-county region studied, Erie, Lawrence and Mercer counties were the most connected. Crawford, Venango and Clarion were less connected, and high-speed connections in Warren and Forest counties were very sparse.

Much of southwest and northeast Clarion County lacks broadband connections; In Forest County, only Tionesta, Marienville and the East Hickory area have such connections.

In general, it comes down to population density. Before building expensive coaxial cable or fiber optic systems, telecommunications corporations want to see a minimum number of customers per mile to make their investments profitable enough.

The Federal Communications Commission defines broadband as an Internet connection capable of downloading 25 mbps (megabits per second) and uploading 3 mbps.

But that definition is likely to be revised upward, and the study considers high speed broadband – needed more and more by businesses, institutions and residences – as capable of delivering 100 mbps downloads.

In northwest Pennsylvania, 87 percent of households have access to 25 mbps and just 36 percent to 100 mbps.

Clarion County does a little better in high speed connections – 52 percent of households have access to 100 mbps connections – but 17 percent of Clarion County households have less than adequate Internet access – via dial-up modems, satellite connections or mobile links.

And 26.5 percent have very slow download speeds of limited usefulness – less than 3 mbps.

Having access to broadband doesn’t mean people connect to it – while 80 percent of households in Clarion County have access to 25 mbps, or better, just 59 percent connect to it.

Cost is the biggest issue; 33 percent of Clarion County households say it is too expensive. The average monthly cost in Clarion County is the highest in the region – around $72 compared with the average of $64 in northwest Pennsylvania.

Not surprisingly, more than two-thirds of connected Clarion County households are dissatisfied with the cost.

Suggested solutions

A lack of focused leadership on the problem is a major obstacle, and the report recommends forming an organization dedicated solely to developing rural broadband.

Chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, libraries and educational institutions have all discussed or attempted to address the matter, but all have other missions and priorities.

The report recommends setting up an interim board to set up a regional technology access committee (TAC).

The TAC would recruit businesses and individuals to join and “go to work in the Northwest Pennsylvania region.” And the committee should also determine what it would take to establish broadband service.

Wireless technology can be a way to reach rural areas since it doesn’t require lengthy and extensive systems of cables and fiber optic lines. It does require a direct line of sight between antenna and receiver.

Finding places to mount antennas is termed in the report as a “vertical assets inventory.” These assets could be cellphone towers, water towers, tall buildings, steeples, barns or silos.

A high spot that can provide coverage to rural neighborhoods will suffice if it is a stable structure with access to electrical power and wired telecommunications.

The inventory could be provided to wireless broadband providers interested in putting the assets to use.

Other possibilities

The report has some other recommendations for improving connectivity and helping connectivity improve the community.

– A technology summit would bring together community, business, education and government leaders to discuss ways to improve broadband access adoption and use.

– Cybersecurity training programs for community members would help Internet users identify and avoid threats to networks, confidential information and personal safety.

– Local governments can take advantage of advice and tools to improve their websites and other online assets to improve efficiency to better engage with citizens.

– Training programs for businesses could help them make better use of websites, social media, e-commerce and other advanced broadband technologies.

– Economic development groups and local governments could inventory and promote high-speed broadband services available in industrial parks, business parks and key business locations

– Schools could develop one-to-one programs to provide individual students with their own internet-enabled devices along with web-based courses and online educational content to supplement the traditional face-to-face course format.