2023 Broadband Grants Report, State Broadband Office (June 13, 2023)
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- 2023 Commercereports Sbo Infrastructure Grantsfinal 69Ae5A4D 750D 40A9 B6Fb
- Case
- 2023 Commercereports Sbo Infrastructure Grantsfinal 69Ae5A4D 750D 40A9 B6Fb
Summary
The 2023 Broadband Grants Report of the Washington State Broadband Office, submitted to the Legislature on June 13, 2023 under Laws of 2022, Chapter 296 (SSB 5651, Section 1041(4)). It reports that the office administers $325,973,000 in broadband infrastructure grants, comprising $150,966,000 from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, $124,749,000 from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Account and $50,258,000 from the State Capital Construction Account. In the first round of its Broadband Infrastructure Acceleration Grant program the office received 53 pre-applications requesting more than $415 million and awarded 13 projects totaling nearly $141 million, and in the second round received 50 applications and awarded 19 projects totaling more than $121 million in May 2023. It also reports a $30 million award under the NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program.
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
Cite this document
“2023 Broadband Grants Report, State Broadband Office (June 13, 2023).”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2023-commercereports-sbo-infrastructure-grantsfinal-69ae5a4d-750d-40a9-b6fb/
, SHA-256 e8e3729caf1a97b21bf64a763c0d4ead21cc87fc882ff53b186f91fa41b21b6c.Full text
Submitted by the State Broadband Office pursuant to Laws of 2022,
Chapter 296, the 2022 supplemental capital budget (SSB 5651,
Section 1041(4))
June 13, 2023
STATE BROADBAND OFFICE Report to the Legislature
Director Mike Fong
V3.2
Acknowledgments
Washington State Department of Commerce
Mark K. Barkley, Assistant Director, Local Government Division
Buck Lucas, Policy and Communications Manager
Washington State Broadband Office
Mark Vasconi, Director
Erika Henry, Deputy Director
Connie Rivera, Broadband Infrastructure Programs Manager
Al Alden, Broadband Infrastructure Supervisor
Tammy Mastro, Broadband Senior Specialist
Chelsea Bagwell, Broadband Infrastructure Specialist
Jason Freeze, Broadband Infrastructure Specialist
Sean Ardussi, Interim Digital Equity Manager
Natasha Davis, Administrative Assistant 3
Washington State Department of Commerce
WASHINGTON STATE BROADBAND OFFICE
Mark Vasconi, Director
Mark.Vasconi@commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-918-1241
1011 Plum St. SE
P.O. Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525
www.commerce.wa.gov
For people with disabilities, this report is available on
request in other formats. To submit a request, please
call 360-725-4000 (TTY 360-586-0772)
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT
Table of Contents
Executive summary...................................................................................................................................... 2
Acceleration Grants: ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Fund (SLFRF) .......................................... 3
Acceleration Grants: ARPA Coronavirus Capital Funding .............................................................................. 5
Matching grants for federal funding opportunities ........................................................................................ 7
Federal grant applications............................................................................................................................ 8
NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program ...................................................................................................... 9
NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program .............................................................................................. 9
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 1
Executive summary
Authorizing legislation
The 2021-23 state capital budget, Chapter 332, Laws of 2021 (Sec. 1086(4)), amended in the 2022
supplemental capital budget, Laws of 2022, Chapter 296 (Section 1041(4)), directs the Washington State
Broadband Office (WSBO) to report on infrastructure grants awarded in the previous fiscal year:
By January 30, 2023, the statewide broadband office must develop and submit a report regarding the grants
established in subsections (2) and (3) of this section to the office of financial management and appropriate
fiscal committees of the legislature. The report must include:
The total number of applications and amount of funding requested
A list and description of projects approved for grant funding in the preceding fiscal year
The total amount of grant funding disbursed during the preceding fiscal year
The total amount of funds obligated and timing of when the funds were obligated in the preceding fiscal
year
For projects funded in the prior biennium, the outcomes achieved by the approved projects
Overview
The WSBO (RCW 43.330.530) is housed in the Department of Commerce. Its key mandate is to have high-
speed internet access for all by 2024, and 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) symmetrical (upload and
download speeds) services by 2028. The WSBO has built and continues to expand key partnerships, helped
launch projects and, most importantly, established a foundation for action at a larger scale.
In establishing the WSBO, the Legislature found that increasing broadband access to unserved areas of the
state serves a fundamental governmental purpose and that achieving affordable and quality broadband access
for all Washingtonians requires additional and sustained investment. The WSBO has served as the central
broadband planning body for the state since its creation.
In 2021, the governor and the Legislature entrusted the WSBO with administering more than $326 million in
broadband infrastructure grants appropriated in the 2021-23 capital budget, and amended the distribution of
federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the 2022 supplemental capital budget (SB 5651). These
funds include:
Grants to qualifying broadband infrastructure projects: $325,973,000 total
$150,966,000 from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF)
$124,749,000 from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Account (CPF)
$50,258,000 the State Capital Construction Account
Grants to eligible applicants as match to leverage federal broadband infrastructure funding: $50 million
from the State Building Construction Account
Since the conclusion of the 2021 legislative session, the WSBO has continued to focus on developing internal
staff capacity, facilitating community-based project partnerships and working closely with diverse stakeholder
groups to administer these funds successfully. Project application requests have exceeded funding amounts
available as communities develop projects to meet their community broadband needs.
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 2
Acceleration Grants: ARPA Coronavirus State and Local
Recovery Fund (SLFRF)
Key findings
There is significant demand for broadband infrastructure funding and communities are ready to champion
projects.
The WSBO received 53 pre-applications requesting more than $415 million from an available pool of
approximately $143 million in the first phase of the Broadband Infrastructure Acceleration Grant program,
which opened in fall 2021.
The WSBO awarded funding to 13 projects, totaling nearly $141 million.
The remaining funds are set-aside for bid or material cost increases, program administration, and $5
million in funding for broadband equity and affordability grants, which will be made in consultation with the
Office of Equity.
Most of the contracts for Acceleration Grants awarded with ARPA SLFRF funds were executed in the fall of
2022, and only one grantee had submitted pay reimbursement request as of the writing of this report. The
WSBO continues to monitor for cost overruns associated with labor and material supply shortages in addition
to cost increases due to the inflationary environment within the construction industry.
Table 1: ARPA SLFRF awards
Contract
execution Total project Contract Amount Balance of
Grantee Project title date cost awarded expended contract
Adams County Adams County 11/2/22 $10,678,708 $10,320,889 $0 $10,320,889
Clallam Clallam County
1/3/23 $17,861,094 $16,074,985 $0 $16,074,985
County Broadband
Confederated
Confederated
Tribes of the
Tribes of the
Colville 1/3/23 $4,507,273 $4,097,518 $0 $4,097,518
Colville
Reservation
Reservation
Broadband
King County
King County 10/29/22 $13,148,109 $11,833,300 $0 $11,833,300
Broadband
Lewis County
Lewis County Broadband 10/11/22 $25,850,000 $23,500,000 $0 $23,500,000
Expansion
Connecting
Lincoln County 11/3/22 $5,218,072 $5,218,072 $0 $5,218,072
Lincoln County
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 3
Contract
execution Total project Contract Amount Balance of
Grantee Project title date cost awarded expended contract
Nisqually
Nisqually
Thurston Co 12/15/22 $6,775,496 $6,775,496 $0 $6,775,496
Indian Tribe
OAN Phase II
Whatcom
Port of
County 11/17/22 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 $0 $4,000,000
Bellingham
Broadband
Port of
Port of
Whitman
Whitman 9/15/22 $1,329,500 $1,062,000 $0 $1,062,000
County
County
Broadband
PUD No 1 of
Jefferson
Jefferson 8/22/22 $11,425,040 $9,718,934 $266,677 $9,452,256
North Fiber
County
Snohomish
Snohomish
County and * $25,723,469 $16,713,615 $0 $16,713,615
County
Ziply - SR 530
Spokane
Spokane Tribe Tribe's
** $18,686,910 $16,837,920 $0 $16,837,920
of Indians Broadband
Acceleration
Washington
Independent
Telecommunic
WITA Member 11/28/22 $16,517,497 $14,865,747 $0 $14,865,747
ations
Association
(WITA)
Total $162,721,168 $141,018,476 $266,677 $140,751,798
* Snohomish County has been reviewing its contract since August 2022.
** The Spokane Tribe applied to both NTIA Tribal Broadband and WSBO ARPA SLFRF for the identical project and
funding. Both sources awarded the project. The NTIA and WSBO are working with the tribe in adjusting the scope
of work and funding award.
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 4
Acceleration Grants: ARPA Coronavirus Capital Funding
Key findings
The second round of acceleration grants in the 2021-23 biennium opened in the fall of 2022 with up to $122
million available. While outside of the scope required by the authorizing legislation, details about these awards
continue to demonstrate the significant demand for community-led broadband infrastructure projects statewide.
The WSBO received 50 applications requesting more than $316 million for the second round of the Broadband
Infrastructure Acceleration Grant program.
The WSBO awarded funding to 19 projects, totaling more than $121 million in May 2023. As of the publication
of this report, no grantees were under contract and no funds were expended.
Table 2: ARPA CPF awards
Contract
execution Total project Contract Amount Balance of
Grantee Project title date cost awarded* expended contract*
Franklin Connell and
County PUD Basin FTTH N/A $4,854,610 $0 $4,854,610
No. 1 project
Grays Harbor
South Elma,
Grays Harbor Porter and
N/A $6,916,366 $0 $6,916,366
PUD No. 1 Cedarville
Broadband
project
Jefferson
Inbetweens
County PUD N/A $6,087,687 $0 $6,087,687
Fiber project
No. 1
King County,
King County Ziply to Duvall N/A $1,767,681 $0 $1,767,681
project
Kittitas County
Kittitas County WSBO 2022 N/A $11,366,102 $0 $11,366,102
project
Lewis County Bunker Creek
N/A $11,958,421 $0 $11,958,421
PUD No. 1 project
Deer Meadows
and Seven
Lincoln County N/A $8,921,342 $0 $8,921,342
Bays FTTx
project
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 5
Okanogan
Okanogan
County
County Electric N/A $11,985,014 $0 $11,985,014
Connect
Co-Op
project
Orcas Power
Outer Islands
and Light Co- N/A $6,446,206 $0 $6,446,206
project
Op
Orcas Power
Orcas Island
and Light Co- N/A $3,911,649 $0 $3,911,649
East project
Op
Orcas Power
San Juan
and Light Co- N/A $3,352,904 $0 $3,352,904
Island project
Op
Orcas Power
Orcas Island
and Light Co- N/A $1,242,168 $0 $1,242,168
West project
Op
Bow Outlying
Port of Skagit
Areas FTTx N/A $8,054,251 $0 $8,054,251
County
project
Port of the Port of
Whitman Whitman FTTx N/A $1,135,475 $0 $1,135,475
County project
Spokane Tribe
Spokane Tribe HWY 231 FTTH N/A $3,418,063 $0 $3,418,063
project
Central
Tri County
Stevens County
Economic
Hybrid N/A $12,000,000 $0 $12,000,000
Development
Broadband
District
project
Whatcom Point Roberts
N/A $3,150,000 $0 $3,150,000
PUD No. 1 FTTx project
Yakima County
Yakima County WSBO 2022 N/A $11,310,004 $0 $11,310,004
project
Total $121,523,711 $0 $121,523,711
* No grantees are currently under contract for these awards made in May 2023, and all awards are conditional on
receipt of the CPF resources from the U.S. Treasury.
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 6
Points of emphasis
Supporting local efforts to create public-private partnerships is essential.
Relationships between service providers and community leaders are key to designing broadband service
solutions. One model for convening these conversations is the Broadband Action Team (BAT). There are BATs
serving residents and businesses across the state, with the goal to bring access to high-speed internet
connectivity, internet-capable devices and the digital skills to use them to every resident.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, service must be accessible to end users.
Constructing infrastructure alone is not enough. If the intended customers cannot afford to use the service or
lack digital literacy skills or devices to access it, they are just as excluded from modern society as those without
the infrastructure. When awarding grant funds, the WSBO ensures that applicants are participants in the federal
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and supports digital equity efforts by providers and community-based
organizations.
Matching grants for federal funding opportunities
The WSBO opened applications for matching grants for federal broadband infrastructure funding opportunities in
fall 2021. We accept applications on an ongoing basis and will evaluate them as they are received. The WSBO
commits matching grant funds to eligible applicants with projects that secure a federal funding award. The total
available is $48.5 million from the State Building Construction Account.
The WSBO anticipates applicants for the USDA ReConnect Program (ReConnect) will drive demand for matching
grant funds. The most recent ReConnect application cycle opened September 6, 2022 and closed nearly eight
weeks later on November 2, 2022. Additional ReConnect funds may be made available in 2023, and that is
dependent on inclusion in the federal budget. ReConnect requires grantees provide a 25% match for 100% grant
awards, except for tribal and socially vulnerable communities. For awards that are 100% loan or a loan and grant
combination, there is no match requirement.
Due to the high cost of materials and delivery delays, the WSBO matched several Community Economic
Revitalization Board (CERB) ARPA Capital awardees. These additional funds ensure completion of the project’s
scope of work. The WSBO prioritizes projects that received funding from the CERB or Public Works Board (PWB)
for a previous phase of the same or a related project to maximize collaboration with other broadband
infrastructure funders.
The WSBO awarded matching funding to 10 projects, totaling more than $17 million, and have several additional
funding requests under consideration at this time, but which were not finalized as of the writing of this report. In
addition, only one grantee had submitted a pay reimbursement at the time of this report.
Table 3: State matching funds for federal grants
Award Total Federal
Project
Grantee Letter project Contract Amount Balance of match
title
Date cost awarded expended contract source
PUD No 1 of Olympic Fiber 3/1/22 $12,191,477 $8,150,966 $907,770 $7,243,196 NTIA-BIP
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 7
Jefferson Corridor
County
Ellensburg Fiber
City of Extension and
8/18/22 $546,966 $109,393 $0 $109,393 NTIA-BIP
Ellensburg Fixed Wireless
Broadband
USDA USDA
Lewis
Community 10/18/22 $3,750,000 $750,000 $0 $750,000 Community
County PUD
Connect Connect
PUD No 1 of
SE Jefferson USDA
Jefferson 10/24/22 $18,404,464 $4,601,116 $0 $4,601,116
Fiber Project ReConnect
County
Port of CERB ARPA
Sauk Suiattle 11/16/22 $2,400,000 $600,000 $0 $600,000
Skagit Capital
Port of
Pine CERB ARPA
Whitman 11/29/22 $2,168,651 $433,730 $0 $433,730
City/Malden Capital
County
Nisqually
Nisqually CERB ARPA
Thurston OAN 12/22/22 $2,653,351 $653,351 $0 $653,351
Tribe Capital
Phase 1
Dayton
CERB ARPA
Port of Community 1/26/23 $3,156,622 $808,333 $0 $808,333
Capital
Columbia Broadband
FTTx in Almira,
Lincoln CERB ARPA
Creston and 1/25/23 $3,273,200 $818,300 $0 $818,300
County Capital
Harrington
Port of Ariel to Cougar CERB ARPA
1/25/23 $2,635,328 $658,832 $0 $658,832
Woodland FTTH Capital
Total $51,180,059 $17,584,021 $907,770 $16,676,251
Federal grant applications
To advance WSBO's mission to ensure all Washingtonians have access to high-speed internet service, the
WSBO applied directly for federal funds. It also assists in helping applicants find federal funding and other
grant opportunities for deploying broadband services.
In summer 2021, the WSBO applied on behalf of local projects for funding under the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP).
In addition, the WSBO applied to NTIA in 2022 for the:
State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. WSBO was awarded $1,076,248.79 on Dec. 1, 2022. This is a
one-year contract to develop a digital equity plan for Washington. The plan serves as an important step
toward determining barriers for digital access for all communities throughout the state, and identifies the
specific measures to address those barriers.
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 8
State Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Planning Grant Program. WSBO was awarded
$5 million on Nov. 15, 2022. This five-year contract supports the WSBO with staffing and the initial planning
activities to developing a five-year action plan and the initial proposal.
NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program
In response to the NTIA Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) grant announcement, the WSBO issued a
request for information soliciting eligible projects to apply on behalf of the state. The WSBO submitted a single
application requesting $30 million in grant funding on behalf of the covered partnerships and broadband
projects detailed in Table 4 below.
Table 4: NTIA BIP awards
Contract Total
Project Contract Amount Balance of
Grantee execution project
title awarded expended contract
date cost
Stevens County
Declaration
Broadband 11/30/22 $7,469,450 $6,866,950 $0 $6,866,950
Networks Group
Deployment
Ellensburg Fiber
Extension and
Ellensburg 11/10/22 $546,966 $437,573 $0 $437,573
Fixed Wireless
Broadband
Northern Hood
Hood Canal
Canal Fiber 12/20/22 $13,070,841 $12,581,641 $0 $12,581,641
Communications
Extension
Olympic Fiber
Jefferson PUD 10/19/22 $12,191,477 $6,153,426 $0 $6,153,426
Corridor
Connecting
Ziply 11/3/22 $5,267,345 $3,960,410 $0 $3,960,410
Rural Counties
Total $38,546,079 $30,000,000 $0 $30,000,000
No construction work could occur until completion of the Environmental Assessment (EA) required within Section 106.
Approval of the EA took longer than anticipated, and was approved by the NTIA in December 2022.
NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program offered by the NTIA in summer 2021 made $980 million available
for federal assistance for federally recognized tribes. The NTIA will allocate up to $500,000 to any federally
recognized tribe that submitted an application, and additional funding up to $50 million for broadband
infrastructure deployment. The WSBO invited all the federally recognized tribes in Washington to consider
applying.
We provided tribes with no-cost grant writing services for their applications, with resources allocated in the
state operating budget. This outreach resulted in 13 tribes submitting applications seeking grant funds totaling
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 9
$130 million. The NTIA announced initial awards in October 2022 and are continuing to review to make
additional awards on a rolling basis.
In addition, the second round for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is anticipating opening in spring
2023. The WSBO has five tribes that requested grant-writing services for their application submittal.
2023 BROADBAND GRANTS REPORT 10
File and source
- File
- 2023_commercereports-sbo-infrastructure-grantsfinal-69ae5a4d-750d-40a9-b6fb.pdf
- Size
- 344,284 bytes
- SHA-256
- e8e3729caf1a97b21bf64a763c0d4ead21cc87fc882ff53b186f91fa41b21b6c
- Original
- app.leg.wa.gov