Westmoreland Broadband Program

Westmoreland County is taking definitive steps to ensure that all its residents and businesses have access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet.

The Westmoreland Broadband Program was developed to identify Internet gap areas and to work with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to begin deploying infrastructure to reach communities in need of broadband.

The County held a Press Event on January 19, 2023, that provided details about the feasibility study, project goals, and priorities. For highlights of the event, select the link below.

Verizon Launches High-Speed Internet for Early Action Areas

Verizon will expand broadband services to four Early Action project areas within Derry, Fairfield, and Ligonier Townships. Through the Broadband Feasibility Study, these areas were identified as having the greatest need and were prioritized to bring much-needed support to residents and businesses. Click the link below for additional information.

Final Report

The recently-completed Broadband Data Collection & Feasibility Study is a critical first step in developing future broadband infrastructure improvements and securing or dedicating funding. The findings will help to inform the next steps in bridging the digital gaps in Westmoreland County.

Understanding Broadband

Broadband or high-speed Internet access allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than those available through “dial-up” services. Hover over the boxes to get more information on how broadband works.

How is
Speed Measured?

Broadband is measured in Megabits per Second (Mbps). The current FCC definition of Broadband is 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Pennsylvania recently set the bar at 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload which federal broadband programs are also using as the desired threshold.

What is
Download Speed?

The rate that data or information can be received by a user’s computer or device from the Internet.

What is
Upload Speed?

The rate that data or information is transferred from a user’s computer or device to the Internet.

What is
Fixed Broadband?

These are technologies that enter a household, business, or community anchor institution through Fiber, Cable, DSL (traditional telephone line), Fixed Wireless, or Satellite. Source: FCC

What is
Mobile Broadband?

These are wireless technologies that typically service mobile phones and tablets via cellular transmission from providers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Source: FCC

What is
Broadband Access?

Broadband access denotes that a homeowner, business, or community anchor institution can connect to high-speed internet via an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Source: FCC

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

Community engagement was key in raising awareness about the study, fieldwork, and promoting the survey. Westmoreland County partnered with local leaders and stakeholders to help with messaging and to engage underrepresented populations such as senior citizens, low-income and rural residents, and other hard-to-reach communities. Several communication tools and resources were provided to stakeholders and the public to share the survey and information about the project.

The primary goals of the communications strategy for survey participation included:

What We Heard

“Our biggest issue is speed and the lack of capacity for multiple simultaneous use.”

– Latrobe Resident

“I wish I could get better affordable internet, I actually have been looking into it. The connection is so slow, it takes a long time to just load a page.”

– Derry Resident

“We need internet in our area. Doing school from home during COVID-19 was a challenge and I feel my kids suffered from the lack of internet in our area.”

– Bolivar Resident