In a push to integrate better broadband service across the country, Congresswoman Susan Wild, District 7, brought Biden administration senior adviser and American Rescue Plan Act coordinator Gene Sperling to Weatherly on Monday to announce a $200 million investment in better internet service for places in rural Pennsylvania.

“We’ve come to this point in our lives where we simply cannot function without high speed internet that’s reliable,” Wild said.

But in Weatherly, strong broadband service is not always an option. The borough is currently mainly serviced by Atlantic Broadband, while the rest of the county is served by Blue Ridge Communications and PenTeleData, as well as Kinetic/Windstream.

A number of borough officials stated that there are interruptions in broadband or lack of coverage in some areas in the hilltop community.

Weatherly borough council member Joseph Thomas said his internet from the local cable provider was unreliable and slow – slowest when school is out.

Weatherly Area Schools vice principal Christopher Kimmel explained how the District provides Chromebooks to students, but some families had poor internet, while others had none.

Sperling said that this investment to the state will help residents to get the broadband that is needed in today’s world.

“This first $200 million that is going to the state Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is designed to go exactly to communities like Weatherly Borough in Carbon County,” Sperling said.

Also attending were U.S. Treasury officials Jacob Liebenluft and Joseph Wender. Funds for the internet improvements come from Wender’s Capital Projects Fund, and from Liebenluft’s Recovery funding – both from ARPA money.

The visit was part of a three-week listening tour about access to reliable, affordable internet, and how poor-quality broadband internet affects the everyday lives of locals, especially students and veterans.

Wild also spoke about the need for fast and reliable internet for seniors and veterans needing access to tele-health services.

She said that she and her colleagues will work to help areas apply for the grants.

On Thursday, Carbon County Commissioners Chairman Wayne Nothstein said the commissioners also attended the event and stressed that the county is committed.

He noted that the grant process will be very competitive but areas like Weatherly are “in dire need of broadband.”

Last year, Carbon County hired a third-party company to complete a broadband study to find areas that needed to be better served, as well as learn what resources are already out there for various communities.

Seth Isenberg contributed to this report.