(Mechanicsburg, PA) The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) announced a new wireless infrastructure program from PSBA exclusive provider Diamond Communications, a private wireless infrastructure company, with the goal of delivering increased cell connectivity to Pennsylvania public school districts.
“We are very excited to launch this program as reliable cellular service is critical, especially during emergencies, and through this initiative, districts can proactively market properties to the wireless carriers for the development of new communication towers. The goal is to enhance cellular connectivity in and around the schools and create opportunities to generate revenue from leasing district land for new communication towers or other infrastructure,” said PSBA CEO Nathan Mains.
“Our new program, ConnectED PA, is designed to simplify the process so that school board directors do not need to work with multiple carriers or parties but can work with Diamond as a central point of contact where Diamond
handles communications with the wireless carriers. This approach strengthens district resources while expanding reliable connectivity for students, staff and the broader community,” said PSBA Chief Impact Officer Britta Barrickman. Data shows that approximately 65% of school districts in Pennsylvania have at least one major carrier with unreliable coverage. As Pennsylvania school districts increasingly rely on cellular networks to handle both internal and external emergency notifications, consistent and dependable coverage has become critical. Reliable communication is not only important for emergency personnel and first responders, but also for parents and school administrators who exchange information through wireless calls and text messages. Strong cell signal coverage and sufficient network capacity are also essential for accurate location sharing, especially during emergencies. Collaborating with an
experienced wireless infrastructure provider can help schools strengthen on- campus connectivity while generating additional revenue.
“Our goal was to establish a program that supports school districts struggling with limited connectivity, helping them close the digital gap and build safer, more connected schools and communities,” Barrickman said. “We are excited to start this program with PSBA,” said Peter Woodbury, President of Strategic Partnerships at Diamond Communications. “Today's schools depend on reliable connectivity to support both education and safety. This partnership will empower districts to enhance wireless coverage through a streamlined process for identifying, marketing and developing wireless infrastructure. By working together, we can speed up deployment, create new
opportunities for schools, and provide wireless carriers with greater reliability and certainty.”
Through the ConnectED PA program, Diamond assists school districts in evaluating their existing cellular coverage and identifying opportunities to enhance connectivity. The initiative includes marketing school properties to wireless carriers and facilitating infrastructure investments on district-owned land — all at no cost to the school districts. Participating districts retain full approval rights for all opportunities and benefit from long-term revenue stream generated from any cell tower deployments.
About PSBA
As the first school board association, PSBA has provided services, advocacy and counsel to inform and engage the local leadership of the commonwealth's public schools for more than 130 years. PSBA represents over 4,500 school directors, with voluntary membership encompassing nearly 100% of school entities statewide. Leading the charge with the unified voice of members, advocates and
partners, PSBA is dedicated to promoting exceptional public education for Pennsylvania's students.
PSBA Media Contact:
Mackenzie Christ
Director of Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
(717) 590-5623
PSBA ConnectED PA Contact:
Michelle Zetlemoyer
Director of Services
[email protected]
(717) 590-5646
About Diamond Communications
Diamond was founded in 2006 and owns/manages over 4,000 tenanted wireless communication sites in the United States as well as other communications infrastructure, including fiber, distributed antenna systems, managed WiFi and public safety systems. Over the last several years, Diamond and its shareholders have invested approximately $2 billion of capital into various assets. Diamond has offices throughout the United States and also markets over 500,000 third-party properties and structures for wireless infrastructure in all fifty states. Diamond has longstanding relationships with the wireless carriers, first responders, and other wireless and fiber users. For
more information, please visit www.diamondcomm.com.