Just as the green dome of Pennsylvaniaâs Capitol is a fixture of the Harrisburg skyline, Vince Phillips has been a fixture under that dome for years as one of the stateâs top agriculture lobbyists.
Phillips retired at the end of 2020, capping a 31-year career in which he helped advance rural broadband for the Pennsylvania State Grange and pushed for legislative changes that were sometimes small but nonetheless valuable to farmers.
Phillips, a mustachioed resident of Mechanicsburg, believes that his often-maligned profession is a key part of civic engagement.
âIn order to really make a difference, you have to advocate something to the people who have the power to change things,â he said.
J.D. Prose, USA TODAY Network - PA State Capitol Bureau
A Federal Communications Commission announcement earlier this week that nearly $369 million would be allocated to expand high-speed broadband access in Pennsylvania was just the latest development in the effort to give rural residents better internet service.
The FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I would help an estimated 327,000 Pennsylvanians in nearly 185,000 unserved homes and businesses over the next 10 years. During that span, about $9.2 billion will be spent on similar broadband programs nationwide.
Bids were taken from broadband providers in an auction-like process for projects in every county except for Northampton. Thirteen companies were chosen as bid winners in Pennsylvania.