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Centre County approves advertising for broadband BEAD-era RFP, reserves ARPA match funding
Summary
The Centre County commissioners approved release and advertisement of a broadband request for proposals aligned with the Pennsylvania BEAD timeline; staff said the county has reserved up to $1 million in ARPA funds as local match and seeks proposals by a tentative Jan. 3, 2025 deadline.
Centre County commissioners voted to advertise a revised broadband request for proposals intended to align county projects with the Pennsylvania BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) rollout. Planning staff member Liz told the board the RFP is a modification of last year’s capital-projects RFP and is intended to identify project areas in advance of BEAD funding rounds.
Liz said she will evaluate submissions on six technical points, including comprehensiveness, the proposed technical solution (fiber, cable, or wireless), affordability measures for low-income households, and cost per household. She presented a target schedule: questions from proposers through October and a submission deadline of Jan. 3, 2025, intended to give potential vendors adequate time.
Chair noted the commissioners have reserved up to $1,000,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to serve as local match when required; Liz confirmed the BEAD program generally requires a 25% local match though high-cost locations may qualify for reduced match under federal guidance. Commissioners discussed previous mapping challenges and ongoing local deployments from Comcast, Center WISP and others.
The board moved, seconded and approved a motion to advertise the Centre County Broadband Expansion RFP so proposers can prepare for the BEAD application cycle.
