Washington's Broadband Expansion Efforts — House Innovation, Community and Economic Development and Veterans Committee, Janea Stark
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Date
- 2023-12-05
Summary
A Washington State Department of Commerce slide presentation titled Washington's Broadband expansion efforts, prepared for the House Innovation, Community and Economic Development and Veterans Committee and dated 12/5/23. Presenters from the Community Economic Revitalization Board, the Public Works Board, the State Broadband Office and the Digital Equity Unit describe their programs. The slides report $37,819,319 invested by CERB in rural broadband from 2018-2023, Public Works Board awards by fiscal year, and State Broadband Office investments totaling $312,373,996. They outline 2024 legislative requests, including $256,936,000 in state match resources for BEAD, and the status of the BEAD Initial Proposal volumes and the Digital Equity Plan. The deck closes with Digital Navigator outcomes for FY23 and presenter contacts.
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“Washington's Broadband Expansion Efforts — House Innovation, Community and Economic Development and Veterans Committee, Janea Stark.”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov, dated 2023-12-05. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-12-05-2023-12-05-a31443-d263160-commerce-washington-s-broadband-expansion-efforts/
, SHA-256 eff940cac58873098bbb9468d6828908dadf9aa2c26a3a81e6334d7f444a34a1.Full text
Washington’s
Broadband expansion
efforts
House Innovation, Community and Economic
Development and Veterans Committee
Janea Stark, Executive Director, Community Economic Revitalization Board
Sheila Richardson, Programs Director, Public Works Board
Mark Vasconi, Director, State Broadband Office
Lisa Heaton, Managing Director, Digital Equity Unit
12/5/23
We strengthen communities
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND SMALL BUSINESS
HOMELESSNESS BROADBAND ASSISTANCE ENERGY
PLANNING AND TECH CRIME VICTIMS AND ECONOMIC
ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY SERVICES PUBLIC SAFETY DEVELOPMENT
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 2
Community Economic Revitalization Board
CERB Rural Broadband investment 2018-2023
$37,819,319 Invested
27 Projects
~71 Communities
~15,087 Connections
~121 ISPs
5 Towers
~520 miles of fiber
$2,507 Cost per
Connection
Community Economic Revitalization Board
Creating ~33,076
High Speed
Broadband
Connections‡
45 Broadband *Funded through CERB’s Planning Program.
Construction
Projects† **Projects funded through State Administered
Broadband Programs. Does not include match
or direct Federal Funding.
Leveraging
$224,455,556 in
construction †Average cost per project $498,790
funding** ‡Cost per connection:
Construction $6,786
Planning $55
$1.8M CERB
Broadband
Planning
Investments*
Community Economic Revitalization Board
State funding Nisqually Indian Tribe - March 2019, Received a $450,000 loan and a
$150,000 grant the Nisqually Community Broadband Project.
• Construction of approximately 4.8 miles of above and below ground
fiber to serve the Nisqually Indian Tribe reservation.
• CERB funds were matched by $200,000 in local resources.
Completed – Fall 2020
• 111 households with 1G/1G speed
• All students on the Reservation had broadband
service and devices when school started in the
Fall of 2020.
Community Economic Revitalization Board
Federal funding Port of Columbia – March 2019, received a $50,000 planning
grant for the Port of Columbia Broadband Planning Study.
• July 2021, Received a $2,000,000 grant for the Dayton
Community Broadband Project.
• Engineering and construction of broadband infrastructure to
serve the City of Dayton and outlying adjacent areas.
• CERB funds were matched by $500,000 in local resources and
$808,333 from the State Broadband Office.
Completing - Winter 2023
• 1,139 households with 1G/1G speeds
• 140 businesses 1G/1G speeds
Community Economic Revitalization Board
2024 proposed broadband legislation
• Legislation: Codification of CERB’s Rural Broadband Program into RCW 43.160.
• Funding: No additional funding. Projects will be funded from CERB’s biennial
appropriation.
• Staffing: No additional staffing. CERB has administered this program since 2018,
CERB has also funded broadband planning through Core CERB funding.
Codification: Gives CERB the authority to permanently administer the current Broadband Program
within Core CERB programming. This will provide local governments and Tribes a sustainable
funding partner for their community broadband needs.
PWB Broadband Program and awards history
Broadband Awards Funds
Program
FY20 Planning 9 $450K
FY21 Construction 6 $8.11M
(state grant/loan)
FY22 Construction 15 $44.7M
(federal - grant)
FY22 Construction 1 $1.8M
(state loan)
FY23 Construction 1 $3.7M
(state loan)
Statewide impact – connecting unserved
2023 PWB Broadband ribbon cutting in Grant County
Current funding timeline
Nov 6, 2023 – May 3, 2024
$15.7 million in state funding available
30% Grant & 70% Loan - Distressed or Tribal
Loan Only – Non-distressed
Cycle opened: Board awards funds:
November 6, 2023 May 3, 2024
Jan 08, 2024 – Feb 09, 2024
Nov 06, 2023 - Jan 4, 2024 Feb 09, 2024 - March 22, 2024
PWB Broadband Program
Opportunities and challenges
Challenge:
• Limited demand for loan funding and need for authority
to determine grant and loan allocations
Opportunities – positioning for the future:
• Funding distressed project areas in urban areas
• Funding future unmet need
PWB Broadband legislative request
2024 legislative Session:
Update capital budget provisos to authorize the Public
Works Board to award state resources as grants and loans.
Internet for All goals
• The goal of “Internet for All” is to connect all communities to reliable high-speed internet
(broadband), which is defined by the FCC as a minimum of 25/3 Mbps (download/upload
speed), and to increase digital equity.
The “digital divide” refers to the gap between those who have
access to high-speed Internet and its benefits, and those who Benefits of high-speed Internet can include:
have limited or no access, driven by three key barriers.
Education Workforce Access to
development government
Adoption and
Access Affordability Digital Literacy
services
States will be applying for federal funding to help close the digital
Social
divide focusing on “unserved” (<25/3 Mbps) and “underserved” connectivity
Information
access
Telehealth
(<100/20 Mbps)* locations.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 13
State Broadband Office investments, 2019-23
Funding source Awarded funds Anticipated connections**
State ARPA SLFRF $138,836,515 18,697
State ARPA CPF $121,523,711 15,677
Federal NTIA BIP $30,000,000 6,189
State Match*** $22,013,770 1,053
Total $312,373,996 41,616
Total broadband investments $408,919,726 68,157
since 2018 (SBO, PWB and CERB)
**Awarded funds and connections fluctuate as projects complete.
***WSBO state match funds were also used to match ARPA Capital and SLFRF projects
funded by PWB and CERB.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 14
State Broadband Office legislative proposals
• Broadband planning (operating): Requested $5 million to assist
counties and tribes in Broadband planning as they work to secure
BEAD program funding.
• BEAD authority (capital): Requested the authority for $1.2 billion in
federal resources.
• BEAD state match resources (capital): Requested $256,936,000 to
ensure Washington leverages the full federal BEAD allocation.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 15
Washington’s Broadband Equity, Access, and
Deployment Program (BEAD) activities
$1.2 Billion BEAD funding allocation from NTIA
• State Broadband Office outreach campaign added 71,000 unserved locations
to FCC map on a base of 167,000
• That is a 42% increase and was top 10 in the nation!
• Fabric location challenges also added 20,000 locations.
Contracted with Guidehouse for community engagement and to
complete all required planning documents
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 16
Washington’s Broadband Equity, Access,
and Deployment Program (BEAD) activities
BEAD 5-year Plan was
submitted on August 11 and
considered:
• Wireless technology
• Use of existing
infrastructure and dig-once
• Streamlined permitting
• Access to poles
Draft Digital Equity Plan
• Draft Digital Equity Plan
originally due to NTIA Nov. 30
• NTIA approved extension
request for a Feb. 13, 2024
submission date
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 17
Federal submission requirements and timeline
Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and Digital Equity (DE)
Program – complementary programs running in parallel
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 18
Washington’s Broadband Equity, Access, and
Deployment Program (BEAD) activities
Initial Proposal Volume 1
• NTIA-required State Challenge process
• State challenge process is required to enhance the accuracy of served and unserved
locations and to improve the FCC’s national broadband map
• Challenge process needs to be completed prior to applications
• Draft Volume 1 published on Oct. 9 with 30-day comment period ended Nov. 10
• Challenge process will begin April 2024 with an approximate 120-day period
• State modifications to NTIA model process
• Speed tests
• Tribal consent
• Expansion of Community Anchor Institutions (CAI)
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 19
Washington’s Broadband Equity, Access, and
Deployment Program (BEAD) activities
Initial Proposal Volume 2
• Volume 2 provides detail on:
• Project area definition
• Affordability (beyond ACP)
• Application scoring criteria
• Fair labor practices
• Workforce development
• Cyber security
• Draft Volume 2 published Nov. 1 and the comment period ended Nov. 30.
• Final Volume 1 and Volume 2 will be submitted to NTIA by Dec. 27
• We expect the application process to open in the third quarter of 2024
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 20
Digital Equity Update
Digital Equity Unit Managing Director Lisa Heaton, (she/her)
Digital Equity planning and investment
The BEAD and the Digital Equity Plan are the foundation for how
Washington can access historic federal investment to bring reliable,
affordable, high-speed broadband to all Washington residents.
• The Digital Equity Plan is the state’s vision, strategy and objectives related to
availability, affordability, accessibility and inclusivity of services, digital literacy and
internet adoption.
• Received $1,076,248 in federal resources for the Digital Equity Planning Grant.
• States must develop a statewide Digital Equity Plan to be eligible to receive federal
resources for the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program (~$26 million).
Additional Digital Navigator funding (operating)
• $15 million for FY 2025 to complement existing appropriation ($15 million)
• $30 million for FY 2026 and $30 million for FY 2027
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 22
Public engagement activities for Washington State’s
Digital Equity Plan: July 2022 – October 2023
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 23
Digital Equity Forum – Partnership between Office
of Equity and Commerce
• The Digital Equity Forum has held eight meetings, two listening
sessions and smaller group meetings this year.
• Since June 30, 2023, the Forum has discussed next steps as a body
and to provide comments and recommendations on the:
• Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) 5-Year Action Plan
• Draft Digital Equity Plan
• BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I
• BEAD Initial Proposal Volume II
• HB 1723, Washington’s Digital Equity Act (2022)
• Digital Equity Dashboard currently in progress
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 24
Digital Equity Forum
• Thirty-seven current members
• Federally Recognized Tribes – 4
• Underserved and Unserved Communities – 11
• State Agencies Involved in Digital Equity – 9
• Subject Matter Experts (non-profit tech, county, municipal) – 3
• Ex-Officio Legislators - 5
• Ex-Officio Support Agencies: 5
• Next step:
• The Office of Equity and the Commerce are collaborating on a 120-day plan to
support the election of a chair/co-chairs and the development of this advisory
body.
• The Dept. of Commerce will be conducting additional outreach to inform the
State Digital Equity Plan indicated in ESSHB 1723.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 25
Digital Navigator outcomes (FY23)
Some interactions have not been captured because of reservations about sharing personal information from marginalized communities.
Services and/or devices provided Approximate number of individuals and
households served
Digital navigation services included:
• Individual Case Management Total: 212,205
• Group Classes Individuals: 99,832
• Healthcare Increased Access Households: 112,373
• Social Services: Family Reunification, Housing, Transportation
• Legal
Digital literacy services included:
• Navigating an Internet-Connected Device Total: 32,540
• Creating Email Account, Resume Building Individuals: 28,177
• Privacy and Security Households: 4,363
• Education and Skill Training
Internet-connected devices distributed:
• Laptops, Total: 106,349
• Tablets (ie: iPad, Surface Pro, etc) Individuals: 101,207
• Smart Phones Households: 5,142
• Operational Supporting Devices
Total: 18,487
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) assistance Individuals: 14,489
Households: 3,998
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 26
Thank you!
Questions? www.commerce.wa.gov
Mark Vasconi • Janea Stark
DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON STATE BROADBAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY ECONOMIC
OFFICE REVITALIZATION BOARD
Mark.Vasconi@commerce.wa.gov Janea.stark@commerce.wa.gov
(360) 725-2972 • (360) 252.0812
Sheila Richardson Dave Pringle
Lisa Heaton, (she/her) PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC WORKS BOARD LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF
DIGITAL EQUITY UNIT MANAGING DIRECTOR COMMERCE
Sheila.richardson@commerce.wa.gov dave.pringle@commerce.wa.gov
Lisa.Heaton@commerce.wa.gov
(564) 999-1927
(360) 725-2986
(360) 725-3014
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