Broadband — Jasmine Vasavada, Legislative & Policy Director — Washington State Department of Commerce (March 2021)
Summary
This March 2021 Washington State Department of Commerce slide presentation, "Broadband and digital equity," lists Jasmine Vasavada, Legislative & Policy Director, Emily Grossman, Policy and Strategy Advisor, and Russ Elliott, Director, State Broadband Office. It says the digital divide has long been a concern for people with low incomes and has become especially acute during COVID-19. A slide on Governor Inslee's budget lists broadband equity and access at $3.19 million, and another lists $6,000,000 for a digital navigator program in ten regions with two navigators in each region. Other investments listed are $9 million to expand broadband access for licensed child care businesses and $79 million to support residential broadband connections for families who cannot afford connection services.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Date
- 2021-03-17
Cite this document
“Broadband — Jasmine Vasavada, Legislative & Policy Director — Washington State Department of Commerce (March 2021).”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov, dated 2021-03-17. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-03-17-2021-03-17-a28805-d231948-department-of-commerce-broadband-and-digital-equity/
, SHA-256 c1bceb0bbb39f99b737d9a949f54237dbca32778e6f32e0b44bd6306f8753f8b.Full text
Broadband and
digit a l equ it y
Jasmine Vasavada, Legislative & Policy Director
Emily Grossman, Policy and Strategy Advisor
Russ Elliott, Director, State Broadband Office
March 2021
We strengthen communities
HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS ENERGY
HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE
PLANNING COMMUNITY FACILITIES CRIME VICTIMS & COMMUNITY
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 2
The Ten Year Plan to Dismantle Poverty in WA:
Eight Strategies.60 Recommendations. One Goal.
Undo Structural Increase Prioritize Urgent Decriminalize
Racism Economic Needs Poverty
Opportunity
Balance Power Ensure Build a Holistic Prepare for the
Foundational Continuum of Future of Work
Well-being Care
The digital divide has long been a concern for people with low incomes, and has become especially
acute during COVID-19. Digital equity is necessary for full engagement in education and employment,
and is increasingly important to support civic participation.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 3
Human-Centered Poverty Reduction Purpose
system design team
This team is empowered to make
recommendations about what our seven
agencies should begin working on
together, to create a human-centered
poverty reduction system.
The Charter and the Poverty Reduction
Work Group’s (PRWG) draft report
provide a menu of recommended
actions.
You are empowered to recommend
which of those items we should begin
working on together.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 4
Addressing the digitaldivide
1) Affordable , robust broadband internet service;
2) Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of
the user
3) Access to digital literacy training;
4) Quality technical support
5) Applications and online content designed to
enable and encourage self-sufficiency,
participation and collaboration.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 5
Digital Inclusion: major intersections with state government
Home and Community Services Community Health Workers Public Schools
Offices
Coordinated Entry Agencies Washington State Housing Area Agencies on Aging
Authorities
Community Action Agencies Community Colleges Accountable Communities of
Health
Worksource ECEAP and HeadStart Agencies Local Health Departments
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 6
Digital inclusion in Governor Inslee’s budget
Broadband equity and access - $3.19 million
• Includes support for county -level BAT teams
• Template for BATs to use to guide engagement on digital equity
• Funds Digital Equity Manager within WA State Broadband Office
• Funding for translation services and culturally competent outreach
• State broadband data acquisition and analysis
• WI-FI hotspot expansion
• Workgroup on universal service funding mechanisms
• Community feasibility study funding, and technical assistance
grants – helping tee up projects for capital and federal funding
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 7
Digital Navigators
$6,000,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2022 is
provided solely for the department to provide grant funding to an
organization that will create a digital navigator program in ten regions
across the state, with two navigators in each region.
Individua ls s eeking work
Fa milies s upporting s tudents
Englis h la ngua ge lea rners
Elders
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 8
Other Investments
• $9 million to expand broadband access for licensed child care businesses
that serve about 20,500 school-age children (DCYF)
• $79 million to support residential broadband connections for families
across Washington who cannot afford connection services in their area.
(OSPI – students and their families)
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 9
Broadband
Project Adopt
Support Digital Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
Statewide: access, affordability, devices, skills
Support • State Broadband Office
Model Build
Scalable, Future-Proof
•
•
Centralize Conversations
Coordinate with DEI Partners
• State DEI Support Programs (Proposed)
Fund • Digital Equity Manager
Maximize Access To Funding
• Federal DEI Programs
Plan • Provider & Resident Outreach
Identify Service Gaps and Design Networks
• Resident Outreach
Partner
Foster Stakeholder Collaboration
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 10
Federal Digital Equity and Inclusion Programs
• 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (The Act)
• FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP)
$3.2B Est. WA 885K Households $44M/m
• 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
• $7.2B E-Rate
• Accessible Affordable Internet for All Act – (Clyburn)
• Proposed $94B, $6B enhances EBB Program
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 11
How Do We Measure Success?
Before / After
2020: Black - No Service Red < 10 Mbps Yellow < 25 Mbps 2024: Green > 25 Mbps Scalable to 2028: 150/150 Mbps
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 12
Thank you!
Emily Grossman
POLICY AND STRATEGY ADVISOR, COMMUNITY www.commerce.wa.gov
SERVICES AND HOUSING DIVISION
Emily.Grossman@commerce.wa.gov
Russ Elliott
DIRECTOR, STATE BROADBAND OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Russ.Elliott@commerce.wa.gov
Jasmine Vasavada
LEGISLATIVE & POLICY DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT
OF COMMERCE
Jasmine.Vasavada@commerce.wa.gov
File and source
- File
- 2021-03-17_a28805_d231948_department-of-commerce-broadband-and-digital-equity.pdf
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- 421,973 bytes
- SHA-256
- c1bceb0bbb39f99b737d9a949f54237dbca32778e6f32e0b44bd6306f8753f8b
- Original
- app.leg.wa.gov