The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved Washington’s final Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program proposal, clearing the way for the Washington State Broadband Office to begin awarding $736 million in federal funding to bring high-speed internet to every part of the state.
The approval follows WSBO’s submission of its final proposal in September. It outlined the state’s strategy for awarding funds to internet service providers, public utility districts, cooperatives, tribes, and other organizations that will build and expand broadband infrastructure across underserved and unserved areas, a press release from the Washington State Department of Commerce said.
The BEAD program aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships to increase high-speed internet adoption. With the approval of the proposal, BEAD projects will bring about 166,500 businesses and households online over the next four years in Washington, the release added.
The next steps are to begin contracting and construction on 238 projects in underserved communities. Construction timelines vary by project, but all construction must be completed within four years. The WSBO will monitor subgrantees and oversee project funding to protect funds from waste, fraud, or abuse.
“This is a transformative moment for Washington,” WSBO Director Jordan Arnold said in the release. “For rural and underserved communities, internet access is a lifeline to economic opportunity, education, health care, and the modern world.”