Surrounded by local government officials, educators and business owners, Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday called on legislators to rally behind funding to expand broadband access in rural areas as part of his Restore Pennsylvania initiative.

The plan — which proposes funding $4.5 billion worth of capital projects through a severance tax on natural gas — would create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Program, which would provide financial assistance to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and rural electric cooperatives to develop the infrastructure necessary to provide high-speed internet in low-access areas. 

A heated discussion over broadband expansion broke out Thursday between local government associations and state representatives at a hearing of the House Consumer Affairs Committee.

The meeting, held in front of a packed room, was on Rep. Frank Farry’s (R-Bucks) HB 2564, which allows telecommunications companies to install small broadband boxes or poles alongside public roads or other rights-of-way.