Broadband and Digital Equity: It takes a village
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- 2023 01 20 A30325 D248453 Cerb Com Pwb Equity Broadband And Digital Equity
- Date
- 2023-01-20
- Case
- 2023 01 20 A30325 D248453 Cerb Com Pwb Equity Broadband And Digital Equity
Summary
A slide presentation titled Broadband and Digital Equity: It takes a village, dated January 20, 2023, presented to the House Innovation, Community and Economic Development, and Veterans Committee by Washington State Department of Commerce staff. It traces state broadband programs since 1999 and reports Public Works Board investments since 2019 of $450K in nine planning grants and $58M in 23 construction projects. It reports Community Economic Revitalization Board rural broadband investment of $37.1 million across 28 projects and 73 communities, with 14,865 connections at $2,499 each. Digital equity slides give 582 drive-in Wi-Fi locations and Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment of 237,010 households with $81 million in claimed benefits. Later slides list state broadband goals under RCW 43.330.536, about $189 million in construction grants and an estimated $900M federal BEAD share.
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Full text
Broadband and
Digital Equity:
It takes a village
House Innovation, Community and
Economic Development, and
Veterans Committee
Dr. Karen Johnson, Director, Office of Equity
Karin Berkholtz, Executive Director, Public Works Board
Janea Stark, Executive Director, Community Economic Revitalization
Board
Jasmine Vasavada, Director of Governmental Affairs and Policy,
Department of Commerce
Mark Vasconi, Director, State Broadband Office, Department of
Commerce
01/20/23
We strengthen communities
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND SMALL BUSINESS
HOMELESSNESS BROADBAND ASSISTANCE ENERGY
PLANNING AND TECH COMMUNITY CRIME VICTIMS AND ECONOMIC
ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND FACILITIES PUBLIC SAFETY DEVELOPMENT
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 2
Digital Equity Forum
Working together for strong, vibrant economies & communities where
everyone has full access to the opportunities, power, and resources
they need to flourish and achieve their full potential.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 3
Digital Equity Forum
Members
Agaiotupu Viena LGBTQ Commission Jim Bamberger Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA)
Amanda Six Libraries of Stevens County Jon Claymore OSPI Office of Native Education
Anna Zivarts Disability Rights Washington Laura Ruderman Technology Alliance
Bill Kehoe Office of the Chief Information Officer Lisa Rosenblum King County Library System
Bre Urness-Straight OSPI Maria Siguenza Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs
Cathleen MacCaul AARP Melvinjohn Ashue Hoh Tribe
Cindy Aden Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Renee Rooker Walla Walla Housing Authority
Darryl Hunt King County Rituja Indapure Washington State Women's Commission
David Keyes City of Seattle Sameth Mel Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
Ed Prince Commission on African American Affairs Sharayah Lane Philanthropy Northwest
Elizabeth Gordon Committee on Disability Issues and Employment Sharon Miracle Yakima Valley Community Foundation
Eu-wanda Eagans Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region Sharonne Navas Equity in Education Coalition
Jennie Harvell Washington Healthcare Authority Tiffany Circle Colville Tribes
Jessica James Zinda DSHS Trevor Lane Washington State University
Jesus Hernandez Family Health Centers of Okanogan
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 4
Digital Equity Forum
Leadership roles:
Dr. Karen Johnson (co-chair) Director, Office of Equity
Mark Vasconi (co-chair) Director, State Broadband Office
Rep. Matt Boehnke (ex-officio) 8th District
Rep. Mia Gregerson (ex-officio) 33rd District
Sen. Shelly Short (ex-officio) 7th District
Sen. Lisa Wellman (ex-officio) 41st District
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 5
A brief history of broadband programs
1999 2019 2022-present
CERB authority for •PWB Broadband Infrastructure
telecommunications Program established Investment and Jobs
infrastructure added •Statewide Act and funding
to eligible activities Broadband Office authority to CERB,
established PWB, and SBO
2018 2021-present
CERB Rural American Rescue Plan
Broadband Act and funding
Program authority to CERB,
authorized PWB, and SBO
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 6
Public Works Board Broadband
Investments since 2019
• $450K to 9 broadband planning-feasibility study grants.
• $58M to 23 broadband construction projects, including
2 tribal government projects.
• Funding: state loans and grants, federal grants.
Once complete, construction projects will
add 590 miles of fiber making up to Lewis County PUD
“Conduit Connecting” groundbreaking event
10,582 connections for Washington October 2022
communities.
State and federal collaboration
2020 Lewis County 2022 Lincoln County 2022 Clallam County
Broadband Broadband Broadband
With $3M in USDA funding, a $503K With federal grants from PWB ($4.2M) With a $4.5M grant from PWB and a
PWB grant/loan, and $750K in WSBO and WSBO ($5.2M), and local $16M grant from WSBO,
matching funds, constructing government and in-kind funding constructing broadband
broadband infrastructure to serve 335 ($123K), constructing broadband infrastructure along Hwy 101 and
residential and commercial customers. infrastructure to serve 1,231 premises. Hwy 112 to serve 1,600 premises.
Public Works Board Broadband
PWB Broadband Rulemaking Workshops and
public hearing
• Rules implement ESHB 1673.
• Public Hearing February 7, 2023.
• Rule effective date is March 15, 2023.
Broadband funding cycles
• Early summer 2023: Broadband loan cycle with $19M in state
loan dollars.
• Late 2023/Early 2024: $25M federal Broadband Equity Access
and Deployment (BEAD) grant cycle.
pwb.wa.gov
Community Economic Revitalization Board
CERB is designed to:
Finance public
Finance public
broadband Assist local
infrastructure
infrastructure to governments with
construction to
provide high-speed, economic
support private
open-access service development and
business
for rural underserved broadband planning
development
communities.
Community Economic Revitalization Board
Economic
CERB programs
Planning
Development
Broadband Private business
Committed Private Partner
needs public
infrastructure to:
Planning has
Prospective Development
• Site, expand, be
retained been completed
and project is
• Create and Planning has been
deemed feasible
Rural Broadband
retain jobs completed and
• Complete Public project is deemed
private capital infrastructure is feasible
project needed to: Project is in a rural
• Recruit private county/ community
industry to the Project is in
community unserved or
• Job creation underserved area
• Private Project has a
Investment committed ISP
Community Economic Revitalization Board
Cities and Towns
Counties
Federally Recognized Indian Tribes
Eligible jurisdictions
Municipal and Quasi Municipal Corps
Port Districts
Special Purpose Districts (such as, PDAs, PUDs)
Community Economic Revitalization Board
How CERB works
Technical Applications CERB
Assistance (TA)
• Staff provides • Applications • The Board
technical are due 8 meets to
assistance to weeks prior review
communities to a meeting. applications
for project • Staff works every two
development. with the months.
client to vet • The applicant
the presents the
application proposal to
and project. the Board.
• The applicant
will know at
the meeting if
their project
is approved.
CERB Tracks ALL Projects for 5 years AFTER Completion
Community Economic Revitalization Board
Rural Broadband 2018-2022
$37.1 million
CERB Investment
~14,865*
$23.4 million Connections
Match Funding $2,499 Cost per
Connection
28 Projects
5 Towers
73 Communities ~500 Miles of 130 ISPs
Fiber
*13,870 are household connections that facilitate virtual education, ecommerce, telework, and telemedicine
Community Economic Revitalization Board
$37,146,627
Invested
28 Projects
73 Communities
14,865 Connections
130 ISPs
5 Towers
~500 Miles of Fiber
$2,499 Cost per
Connection
Avg. Project
$1,326,627
Community Economic Revitalization Board
A coordinated
web presence
Digital Equity
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 17
Early action on digital equity: Wi-Fi hotspots
Drive-in Wi-Fi Hotspot
Program
• April to June 2020
• State, local, private and high-
education collaboration
• 582 Drive-In Wi-Fi locations
• Online location finder
www.driveinwifi.wa.gov
• In 2021, SBO collaborated with
NoaNet to fund additional
hotspots statewide
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 18
Affordability: Federal subsidy
• Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB)
and Affordable Connectivity ACP by the numbers
Programs (ACP) offer low-income 237,010 households
households discounts for: Enrollment (Jan. 2023)
• Monthly internet bills (ACP discount
is $30/month and $70/month for 61,137 devices
tribal lands), and Discounted devices (Nov. 2022)
• Internet-capable devices (up to
$100). $81 million in benefits
• SBO is amplifying awareness to drive Total claimed benefits (Nov. 2022)
enrollment.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 19
Skills: Digital Navigators Program
Washington State Broadband Office
Digital Navigator program metrics, January – June 2022:
• Total Clients All Services: 39,607
• Total Medicaid clients all services: 7,969
• Total digital navigation: 20,893
• Total Medicaid digital navigation: 2,294
• Total digital literacy skills services: 15,901
• Total Medicaid digital literacy skills services: 3,990
• Total Device Distribution With Built In Subscription Assistance: 2,813
• Total Medicaid clients device distribution with built in subscription assistance: 1,685
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 20
Navigators learning from each other
Cohort meeting: A
venue for sharing
best practices
• Grantees learn
from others
delivering digital
navigator services
• Format and content
is determined by
grantees
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 21
Digital Navigators – next steps
Next steps for expanding the program
• SBO has recently finalized 17 new contracts with organizations to further
reach Washington’s communities. ($8m)
• Interagency agreement with Department of Veterans Affairs. ($2.5m)
• Currently finalizing contracts with organizations that assist communities
reentering the workforce from recent incarceration. ($5m)
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 22
Tools: Digital Equity Plans at state and local
level
• WSU-Extension supporting Local Broadband Action Teams (BATs)
• Funded by WSBO
• Community tables identifying needs
• Planning/start-up grants to 29 Tribal nations and 39 counties ($3M
total)
• Office of Equity and WSBO in partnership for the Digital Equity Forum
• Listening to community perspectives - survey in July, 2022
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 23
Tools: Digital Equity Dashboard
Commerce IT and
consultant team are:
• Showing maps and
dashboards of what’s
possible.
• Working on user stories that
will define requirements and
drive enhancements.
• Estimated to be ready mid to
late 2023.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 24
2021-23 digital equity funding –
State resources
Digital equity and Local digital Digital Equity Act Digital Equity
broadband equity plans (HB 1723) Forum
access programs implementation facilitation
Funding: Funding: Funding: Funding:
$50 million $3.0 million $953,000 $172,000
Programs to increase In partnership with To implement HB 1723, Contacted support for
access for low-income WSU, funding for including staff and facilitation and meeting
and rural communities, regional digital equity contracted assistance to preparation of the Digital
including: expanding the planning grants and stand-up two new digital Equity Forum.
digital navigator program, broadband action equity programs.
broadband action team team support.
capacity building,
mapping, and other
activities.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 25
2021-23 digital equity funding –
Federal resources
Digital equity BEAD (Broadband BEAD broadband and
planning Equity Access and digital equity
Deployment) programs
planning
Approved funding: Approved funding: Expected funding:
$1,076,249 $5.0 million ~$900M initial estimate
Federal planning award to Federal planning award for Based on current FCC draft
support development of the BEAD planning programs. map. Map is subject to
state’s digital equity plan. Implementation plan to challenge process that the
Identifies digital equity provide access to unserved state is engaging in.
needs for unserved and and underserved
underserved communities. communities.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 26
2021-23 digital equity funding summary
Program Intended use Funding* Source Availability
Various programs to increase access for low-income
Digital equity and
and rural communities, including: expanding the digital
broadband access $50,000,000 State General Fund FY23
navigator program, broadband action teams, mapping,
programs
and other activities.
In partnership with WSU, funding for regional digital
County and tribal equity planning grants and broadband action team State General Fund
$3,000,000 FY23
digital equity plans support.
HB 1723 Includes staff and contracts to stand up the digital State General Fund
$953,000 FY23
implementation equity programs under HB 1723
Digital Equity Forum To expand Digital Equity Forum facilitation $70,000 State General Fund FY23
BEAD – Digital Equity To develop and implement the State Digital Equity Plan $1,076.249 Federal - IIJA TBD – FY23
BEAD – Digital Equity To begin the IIJA digital equity planning grant program TBD Federal - IIJA TBD – FY24
For the IIJA state planning grant, state capacity grant,
BEAD – Digital Equity TBD Federal - IIJA TBD – FY24
and competitive grants
TOTAL At least $55,099,249
*Includes program administration
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 27
WSBO funding programs agenda
• Past accomplishments
• Funding and programs
• Present
• Programs in progress
• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) capital projects funding
• Expenditure of state matching funds
• Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) planning
• BEAD consultant selection
• WSU-Extension community outreach efforts
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mapping review
• State broadband pipeline
• Future
• National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) Funding
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 28
State broadband goals: RCW 43.330.536
• By 2024 all Washington businesses and residences have access to
high-speed broadband service that provides minimum download
speeds of at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and minimum
upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps;
• By 2026 all Washington communities have access to at least one
gigabit per second symmetrical broadband service at anchor
institutions like schools, hospitals, libraries, and government buildings;
and
• By 2028 all Washington businesses and residences have access to at
least one provider of broadband with download speeds of at least 150
Mbps download and upload speeds
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 29
WSBO construction grants
2021 – 2022 for approximately $189 million*
Whatcom
San Juan $4,218,250
Kitsap Pend
Okanogan Ferry Oreille
Skagit $7,480,622 $577,306
Island $600,000 Stevens
$9,000,000 $23,704,870
Clallam
$16,074,985 Snohomish
$16,713,615 Capital investments (to-date)
Jefferson
Jefferson Chelan
$1,041
$37,041,508
Douglas American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): State
King
Lincoln $141,018,476
$11,833,300
$5,218,072
Spokane & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF)
Mason
Grays $5,400,000
$699
Harbor National Telecommunications and
Kittitas Grant
Pierce $546,966 Information Administration (NTIA): $30,000,000
Thurston Adams
$6,775,496 $10,320,889 Whitman Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP)
$1,062,000
Pacific Lewis State Match $17,507,310
$24,250,000
Franklin
Yakima Garfield Direct Appropriations (two projects) $472,380
Wahkiakum Cowlitz Columbia
Benton
Skamania Walla Walla Asotin Total $188,998,166
Clark Klickitat
Below $1 $1 to $5 $5 to $10 $10 to $20 Over $20
Million Million Million Million Million
*County totals vary year to year due to de-obligations, terminations, and award withdrawal due to non-compliance.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 30
WSBO 2021-23 capital appropriations
and awards
Leveraged Total project
Funding source Appropriations Awarded Households Counties
funding cost
ARPA State & Local
$143,806,060 $ 141,018,476 $21,702,692 $162,721,168 18,933 14
Fiscal Recovery Funds
State match $48,800,000 $17,507,310 $32,583,567 $50,090,877 6,913 9
ARPA Capital Project
$122,431,140 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
Funds (CPF)
Totals $315,037,200 $158,525,786 $54,286,259 $212,812,045 25,846 23
As of 01/15/23
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 31
Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds:
Awards (“Round 1”)
• More than $141M to 13 applicants.
• Up to 18,933 new service
connections.
• Majority of contracts (11/13) are
executed.
• Projects must complete by October
2026.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 32
WSBO match awards from $50M state funding
• $17.5M in match for 10 projects across state and federal sources
• Supports programs sponsored by CERB, USDA, and NTIA.
• Up to an additional 6,913 connections
• Awards in nine Counties
• Matches $32.6M in federal program funding
• Total project cost $50.1M
• Additional match requests are under review that will leverage federal
funding
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 33
Status of ARPA Capital Project Funding (“Round 2”)
• More than $122M in funding is available
• Nov. 22, 2022: Notice of Funding Opportunity announced
• Jan. 17, 2023: Applications closed
• Feb. 28, 2023: Award announcements
• Mar. 2023: Contracts issued
• Oct. 2026: Projects must be completed
• Preliminary results from the cycle:
• WSBO received 52 applications for nearly $313M
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 34
Federal funding is our central focus
• BEAD Construction $900M (estimated state share) – 5-year period
• $5M grant to develop BEAD 5-year action plan
• Award provided on November 15, 2022
• Initial Proposal due June 11, 2023
• State 5 Year Action Plan due August 12, 2023
• $1.076M grant to develop Digital Equity plan
• Award provided on November 22, 2022
• Digital Equity plan due Dec 1, 2023
• Submission of draft Digital Equity Plan Sept 1, 2023
• Guidehouse selected for BEAD and Digital Equity Planning
• Contract awarded on January 9, 2023
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 35
Draft Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Map
• Draft FCC map released on Nov. 18, 2022
• Home | FCC National Broadband Map
• Preliminary Analysis on Map data
• Unserved WA locations = 166,550 (2.13% of
US Total)
• Preliminary WA Funding estimate ~ $900M +/-
• Subject to more analysis and Challenges to
Draft FCC Map
• Draft Map Shows:
• WA Fixed Wireline coverage:
FCC Broadband Map
• Unserved (<25Mbps/3Mbps) = 2.14% (97.86% Wired connections at 25/3
Served)
Served Unit Percentage
• Underserved (<100Mbps/20Mbps) = 11.43%
(88.57% Served)
0% 0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% 80-100%
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 36
FCC Map Challenges
Two types of challenges
• Location challenges
• Outreach to public entities and WSU-Extension as facilitator of BATs
• 132,000 locations challenged by NoaNET and Spokane County
• Additional analysis continuing with electric and gas locations served
• Availability challenges
• Crowdsourced Challenges – individual submissions to FCC
• How to Submit an Availability Challenge – YouTube
• WSBO FCC Broadband Mapping website distributed to Counties, Cites,
Tribal Nations and Broadband Action Teams (BATs)
• On-going challenges will be accepted by NTIA beyond Jan. 13.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 37
WSBO, CERB and PWB broadband pipeline -
Over $553 million*
Whatcom
Kitsap San Juan $17,285,178 Pend
$45,725,000 Oreille
Okanogan Ferry $25,000,000
Skagit $61,592,000
Island $2,999,999 Stevens
$36,550,000 $5,000,000
Clallam
$8,200,000 Snohomish
$2,670,643
Jefferson
Jefferson Chelan
$1,041
$47,814,950
King Douglas
$2,945,000 Lincoln Spokane
$150,000,000
Grays Mason $3,000,000 $2,915,303
Harbor $3,600,000
$699
$63,500,000
Kittitas Grant
Pierce Adams
Thurston
Whitman
$13,500,000
$3,090,000
Pacific Lewis
$33,200,000 $13,000,000
Yakima Franklin Garfield
$50,000
Wahkiakum Cowlitz Columbia
$500,000 Benton
$500,000 Skamania Walla Walla Asotin
$8,000,000 $2,285,000
Clark Klickitat
$150,000
Below $2 $2 to $5 $5 to $15 $15 to $40 Over $40
Million Million Million Million Million
*Projects identified for multiple counties had their anticipated request divided evenly between the counties.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 38
2023-25 Governor’s Budget update
Capital Budget (state match)
• The state share of federal Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment
(BEAD) is estimated to be $900M in federal funding with a 25% state
match.
• Governor's Proposed Budget, 2023-25: $50M
• 2025-27: $100M projected
• 2027-29: $50M projected
Operating Budget (digital navigation and WSU BATs)
• Enacted Budget, 2021-23: $50M
• Governor’s Proposed Budget, 2023-25: $15M
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 39
Thank you!
Mark Vasconi
DIRECTOR, STATE BROADBAND OFFICE
Mark.vasconi@commerce.wa.gov
360-790-3274
www.commerce.wa.gov
Karin Berkholtz
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC WORKS BOARD
Jasmine Vasavada
karin.berkholtz@commerce.wa.gov DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND POLICY,
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
360.688.0313
Jasmine.vasavada@commerce.wa.gov
360.480.6622
Janea Delk
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION BOARD
janea.delk@commerce.wa.gov
360.252.0812
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