Facilities Broadband ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report (September 2022)

Summary

The Facilities Broadband ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report for September 2022 from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), dated 9/30/2022. It says VDH seeks to upgrade internet infrastructure at Local Health Department offices to deliver broadband at speeds of at least 100 Megabits per second download and 20 Mbps upload, and that nearly 96% of assessed VDH buildings are currently unserved by broadband. Over the last three months VDH launched a pilot project at 17 sites and selected 3 vendors, and started work at an additional 37 sites. The budget table lists $8,000,000, $4,220,000 and $812,200 for appropriation, obligations to date and expenditures to date.

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                      FACILITIES BROADBAND
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF)




                                9/30/2022
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
Page 2 of 7


Table of Contents
Report Mandate ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Context for ARPA Initiatives .......................................................................................................................... 3
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 3
Objective(s) ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Overview of Quarterly Progress (July – September 2022)............................................................................ 4
Anticipated Next Quarter Activities (October – December 2022) ................................................................ 5
Risks and Risk Management ......................................................................................................................... 5
Change Management Considerations........................................................................................................... 6
Project Budget .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
Page 3 of 7


Report Mandate
Chapter 1 Enactment Clause 1, paragraph B.2.P.4., of the amended 2021 Acts of Assembly states, “The
department shall communicate a detailed plan and implementation schedule to the Governor, the Chairs
of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and the Director of the
Department of Planning and Budget by September 30, 2021. Additionally, the department shall report
quarterly to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations
Committees, and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget on progress made, with the first
progress report to be delivered not later than December 31, 2021.”

Context for ARPA Initiatives
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is excited about the opportunity presented by the appropriation
of ARPA State Fiscal Funds in the August 2021 Special Session II of the General Assembly to improve public
health in Virginia. VDH views this investment as a once in a generation opportunity and will work diligently
to maximize use of funds to initiate, implement and sustain these initiatives. Modifications to VDH’s plans
will be reflected in future quarterly reports.

Executive Summary
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) seeks to upgrade the internet infrastructure of Local Health
Department (LHD) offices and client service areas throughout the Commonwealth to enable the delivery
of broadband service at speeds of at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps
upload. As millions of Virginians pivoted to remote work and life during the COVID-19 pandemic, it
underscored the importance of universally available, high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband
coverage for all citizens. Individuals and families continue to rely on the internet to increase their
awareness of COVID variants, locate local healthcare resources, and request immunization records.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the demand for timely and accurate health data from VDH, which
is necessary for public health decision-making and transparency with the public. In addition, sufficient
broadband allows for timeliness and accuracy in the delivery of public health resources that use web-
based services (where services are scheduled, documented, and reported via those web-based systems
and are reported to multiple different sources – such as vaccinations to Virginia Immunization Information
System, VIIS).

With nearly 96% of assessed VDH buildings currently unserved by broadband (speeds less than 25 Mbps
download and 3 Mbps upload), significant internet infrastructure upgrades are imperative for VDH to
adequately serve Virginians post-COVID-19. The ARPA SLFRF funding will be used to upgrade unserved
and underserved VDH facilities via fiber optic broadband connection, wireless 5G broadband connection,
or reliable wireline connection.

Over the last three months, VDH has launched a pilot project to deliver broadband to 17 sites across the
Commonwealth. VDH selected 3 vendors capable of servicing the sites and utilized the pilot to test the
quality of these vendors, better understand the end-to-end process for implementing broadband, and
collect lessons learned to apply when implementing broadband at the remaining VDH sites. While the
pilot project is still ongoing, VDH has used lessons learned from the pilot to kick-off Phase 1 of 3 at an
additional 37 sites across the Commonwealth.
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
Page 4 of 7


Objective(s)
The objective of this initiative is to add a broadband connection to unserved and underserved VDH
buildings that will reliably deliver speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20-100 Mpbs upload, to:

    •   Enable internet speeds for the operation of an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, digitized
        records storage, and increasingly automated administrative systems at each location

    •   Enable adequate bandwidth for employees to support day-to-day operations for the Department

    •   Provide speeds adequate for two-way video conferencing between VDH and other stakeholders
        or patients who are unable to visit in person due to COVID-19

    •   Increase the capacity of each office to access online systems and resources to more efficiently
        complete daily operations and serve clients

Overview of Quarterly Progress (July – September 2022)
Since the submission of the June 30, 2022 quarterly report, VDH has completed the below activities
associated with the Facilities Broadband Initiative. These accomplishments provide VDH a clearer path
forward for Phases 2 and 3 of rollout while finalizing the approach to close out upgrades at Pilot and Phase
1 sites:

Key Activities and Accomplishments

    •   Pilot Project
            o Completed broadband vendor construction at 13 sites, including laying new fiber lines,
                 where needed. However, the Virgnia IT Agency (VITA) and Verizon have to install Secured
                Software Designed Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) before upgraded service is experienced
                by LHD staff

            o   Managed broadband upgrades at 4 remaining pilot sites via management check-ins with
                vendors: resolved challenges faced by the LHDs and vendors, as needed. Of the remaining
                pilot sites, 3 are expected to finish construction in the coming weeks

    •   Rollout to Remaining Sites: Phase 1 of 3
            o Began process for broadband upgrades at 40 sites in Phase 1. VDH hosted 3 kick-off
                sessions to share Pilot Project lessons learned to local contacts with sites in Phase 1 of
                upgrades

            o   Managed sites through various stages of completion. So far, 5 sites have already
                completed vendor construction; 15 have construction underway. Another 20 are
                currently acquiring the necessary permits and conducting site surveys to determine if
                room readiness upgrades are required
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
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   •   Internal Engagement
           o Used agency-wide forums, the VDH intranet site, and leadership briefings to share site
               status and answer stakeholders’ questions about rollout

           o   Aligned on path forward for security upgrades where VITA will rollout increased security
               to all Commonwealth sites this fall, at VITA’s cost. After this is complete, sites will begin
               to experience increased service speeds

   •   External Engagement
           o Collaborated with the VA Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
              to utilize same broadband vendors DHCD is utilizing in their broadband upgrades. This will
              allow VDH to deliver fiber broadband to more locations rather than using an alternative
              technology

           o   Continued to work with the VA Department of Social Services (DSS) to share best practices
               and lessons learned while they prepare for their own site upgrades

Anticipated Next Quarter Activities (October – December 2022)
The following outlines the activities and tasks planned from October through December 2022:

   •   Pilot Project
           o Finish broadband vendor construction at remaining Pilot sites

           o   Install required security before activating upgraded broadband services at LHD sites

   •   Full Broadband Rollout: Phases 1-3
            o Begin broadband upgrades at 57 Phase 2 sites in October

           o   Prepare for VITA installation of SD-WAN, kicking off in October 2022. This will provide a
               single, Commonwealth-wide security solution. Once completed, VDH will fully align on
               steps in activation process so that sites can experience their increased speeds

           o   Survey all sites to understand wireless capabilities. Plan and implement wireless upgrades
               at sites, as needed, to ensure that sites can fully utilize their new broadband services and
               that future VDH needs (e.g., electronic health records) will be fully supported

Risks, Issues, and Management
   •   Risk 1: If there are supply chain delays on inventory, then the Broadband project could be
       delayed

           o   Mitigation Strategy: Mitigate procurement delays for critical equipment and materials by
               planning and scheduling in collaboration with vendors. These measures will empower the
               VDH-IT team to confidently sequence projects and enable broadband technicians and
               engineers to assess site and facility conditions and order necessary equipment and
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
Page 6 of 7


                materials with sufficient lead time between material ordering and the scheduled start
                date for installation.

    •   Risk 2: If VITA’s installation of SD-WAN does not remain on or ahead of schedule, then all sites’
        broadband upgrades may not be completed before the end of Fiscal Year 2023

            o   Mitigation Strategy: VDH will collaborate with VITA to ensure SD-WAN is rolled out to
                VDH sites as soon as available. VDH will continue to upgrade our pilot sites first; this will
                allow VDH to gain lessons learned from implementing SD-WAN and inform future
                implementation.

    •   Risk 3: If VDH funding to support broadband services charges are insufficient once the ARPA funds
        expire, then sites will lose service

            o   Mitigation Strategy: Monitor budget projections to determine when current ARPA
                funding will expire and when requests need to be submitted for additional funds. If
                additional funds are not available, VDH will remove the wireline service and use those
                savings to pay for the Broadband service. This will result in no failover (backup)
                connectivity if broadband service is disrupted.

    •   Issue 1: Sites where broadband construction has already been completed cannot yet experience
        the full services and experience the faster speeds until after VITA has installed their security
        solution (SD-WAN)

            o   Mitigation Strategy: VDH has requested that providers start services only when sites are
                fully operational, including security installation has occurred. Additionally, VDH and VITA
                are working closely to ensure VDH sites have priority in installation and that VDH has full
                understanding of security installation timeline.

Change Management Considerations
VDH understands that successful transformation initiatives rely on more than just the right technology,
processes, and resources. They also depend on effective communications and engagement strategies to
equip stakeholders with the information and guidance that they need to support the changes taking place.
For the Broadband initiative, the successful implementation of critical upgrades will depend on ongoing
two-way communication and engagement with a variety of local contacts.

These activities have been outlined in a communications plan that maps key internal and external
stakeholders, assesses how they may be impacted and/or their role in supporting the effort, and establish
strong feedback loops and channels for information-sharing. The primary objective of the strategy is to
demonstrate VDH-IT's transparency through regular updates to all impacted groups. Core
communications channels include regular status updates to stakeholders via email, an intranet site to
house content for internal stakeholders, an initiative-specific email inbox for two-way communication,
and regular briefings to Central Office and LHD stakeholders across a variety of VDH forums.
Facilities Broadband
ARPA SLFRF Quarterly Report
September 2022
Page 7 of 7


Project Budget
Budget, Obligations, and Actuals as of September 2022

 Total                              Total                                Total
                       $8,000,000                           $4,220,000                            $812,200
 Appropriation                      Obligations (To Date)                Expenditures (To Date)


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