(The Center Square) – Pierce County has announced a public-private partnership that will use more than $7 million in federal funds to boost internet access in the region’s most rural areas. The public-private partnership totals $12.1 million, with Pierce County dedicating $7.15 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to the project. Astound Broadband will spend the remaining $4.95 million as part of the partnership. According to the county, over 3,200 homes will have access to fiber-to-the-home networks, which can boost internet speeds to upwards of five gigabits per second. In the…