Turnpike toll upgrades could shrink Pennsylvania’s broadband deserts

A nearly-finished project to upgrade PA Turnpike tolls could end up boosting broadband access across the state.

For the last four years, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has been installing a fiber optic network across the commonwealth to connect all of the org’s buildings and corresponding tech equipment — aiming for the added benefit of connecting Pennsylvanians beyond the highway.

The Turnpike’s fiber optic network can be described as “middle mile connectivity,” meaning that while it isn’t providing broadband infrastructure directly to individual households, it does expand the infrastructure that service providers need to bring internet access to those communities, according to Jesse Ream, manager of transportation technology and communications. 

“Not only are we serving our need,” Robert Taylor, CTO for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, told Technical.ly. “But we’re providing the mechanism to serve underserved areas in the future as well too.” 

The hope is that this investment will set the transportation agency up to easily integrate new technology, instead of relying on radio waves, Taylor said. Then, it can partner with other orgs to spread the wealth. 

PTC is working with the state government, telecommunications providers, cloud providers and other organizations to understand their broadband needs and see how they can also benefit from the network. 

That’s useful for programs like the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, which is working to expand broadband and increase internet access across the state, thanks to $1.16 billion from the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program.

This effort isn’t exclusive to Pennsylvania. PTC is also part of the Smart Belt Coalition, a collaborative of transportation agencies and research institutions across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The goal of the partnership is to share knowledge about transportation technology, including the fiber optic network. 

An upgrade from outdated cell lines to high-speed broadband

The fiber optic upgrades will support PTC’s devices including cameras, weather sensors and access gates, Taylor said. It will also allow tolling facilities to collect and send data about vehicles to PTC’s main offices. 

Prior to working on the fiber optic network, a more durable and high-speed way of transmitting information, the PTC used lease lines, cellular lines and microwave radar tower systems to connect its technology. The microwave towers transmit radio waves to communicate across long distances. 

However, recurring monthly costs made those methods more expensive, especially as they incorporated more technology, Taylor said. So, even though the upgrades cost $420 million, the hope is to save money in the long term. 

The project was split into five separate contracts, with construction starting in 2021 in the eastern part of the state, and is expected to wrap up next year, said Brittany Piazza, technology infrastructure office at PTC. 

The end goal, which is where PTC aims to be by 2026, is a system that would support current tech needs like cameras and changeable message signs, but would also have capacity for new technology.  

The fiber optic lines will eventually assist in the commonwealth’s efforts to expand broadband to rural communities by providing a bedrock to build on, but first, it’ll have to finish its own connectivity plans.

“It’ll be used for our own network, physically connecting our offices, our facilities and really the data exchange between those facilities,” Taylor said. “It’ll get us out of the business of using lease lines and cellular services to make those connections.”