Causer, Dush Announce Broadband Grant to Benefit McKean County

March 22, 2022

HARRISBURG – Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) and Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) today announced a grant of more than $530,000 to advance broadband access in McKean County.

The grant was awarded through the Unserved High-Speed Broadband Program to SkyPacket Networks Inc., which has been working with McKean County commissioners to enhance broadband service in the county. The company will use the funding to help install fixed wireless broadband infrastructure in Hamlin, Keating and Sergeant townships.

“Broadband service is a necessity, not a luxury, and I am pleased to see this sizable investment in expanding access to more people in McKean County,” said Causer, who authored the legislation creating the grant program. “I look forward to more investments like this one across the Northern Tier to ensure our students, families, employers and health care providers have the high-speed internet service they need.”

“Rural Pennsylvanians have been suffering from a lack of interest on the part of major providers in providing broadband to our region of PA,” said Dush. “Our local governments and smaller providers like SkyPacket have been doing some out-of-the-box thinking to develop ways to provide what is, in this day and age, a critical service to our constituents, schools, employers and health care services. I was excited to support Rep. Causer’s bill in the Senate to help our local government partners gain resources to complete projects like this for our underserved constituents.”

According to its grant application, SkyPacket is planning to expand its fixed wireless broadband network by installing two new 120-foot towers. SkyPacket is working with McKean County and private landowners to secure lease agreements for the two tower site locations. The proposed infrastructure will provide speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload and maximum speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. The project will provide service to 212 residential structures and four business structures.

The funding was approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority at its meeting on Tuesday.