Schuylkill County will use $303,941 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to pay to expand wireless coverage and improve network infrastructure in the courthouse and other county buildings.

Commissioners on Wednesday approved the use of the funds.

The money will buy switches, wireless access points, cabling, licenses and installation services.

The American Rescue Plan Act provides money to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people, the economy, public health, state and local governments, and businesses.

The use of the funds for wireless expansion and network underpinnings is permitted in the broadband section of the plan, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Commissioners approved the proposal without comment.

The county expects to receive a total of $27,415,708 million in Rescue Plan money, to be distributed in two payments over 2021-2022.

The first payment to the county, in 2021, was $13.7 million. The same amount is expected to be released in a few months.

In January, the county used $45,000 of the money to buy a Ford F-150 truck for the coroner’s office.

Earlier this month, commissioners gave $460,000 in federal American Rescue Plan funds to businesses that were to receive state Hospitality Industry Recovery Program but never did because the funds ran out.