Armstrong Delivers High-Speed Internet Access to Underserved Community

CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. - More than three dozen households in a rural northeastern part of Fayette County now have access to high-speed internet service delivered using new Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology. The fiber-optic GPON technology, paired with funding opportunities created by the coronavirus pandemic, make providing quality internet service to an underserved and remote community like Spruce Hollow in Bullskin Township possible.

Many of the 41 homes in the area now connected to the new internet, video and phone capabilities constructed and serviced by Armstrong, previously relied on satellite services. Cell phone reception in this part of the county is also unreliable, creating additional communication challenges.?

“Our entire family now has the ability to game and do homework at the same time without any slowdown,” says Max House, a resident in the Spruce Hollow community. “It has enabled our family to do things more efficiently.”

Construction crews and engineers from Armstrong began building the four-mile service expansion by placing the fiber infrastructure in the fall of 2020.

“Nearly every one of us experienced an increased need for fast, reliable internet service starting in early 2020,” commented John Thoma, general manager of the Armstrong Connellsville system. “Armstrong is grateful for the partners we have in Bullskin Township and Fayette County to have moved this project forward quickly and seamlessly so families in this underserved community can enjoy the benefits of high-speed internet service.”

Funding for the project was made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act facilitated through Bullskin Township and Fayette County.

The use of GPON technology provides the Spruce Hollow community with the fastest internet speeds available in the Armstrong Connellsville service area. Subscribers receive a gigabit upload and download speed. The location of the remote cabinet housing the GPON equipment provides an opportunity to expand the high-speed service offerings in the future.