By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently announced the approval of Volume Two of Washington’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initial proposal. This approval is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative, which aims to close the digital divide and provide affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service to all Americans.
“This is something that we knew had been coming for a long time, something that had been a need on the horizon. Then the pandemic hit, and we could see those cracks within our infrastructure that were so desperately needed to get connectivity to everyone across our state and our nation,” says Aaron Wheeler, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office. “And that is what the ‘Internet for All’ plan is doing for everyone here.”
The approved proposal allows Washington state, along with the District of Columbia and Delaware, to request access to funding and start implementing the BEAD program. This marks a significant step toward connecting over 236,000 homes and businesses in Washington that currently lack high-speed internet access.
“For Washington, it means they can move forward from planning to action, they can start the process of selecting sub-grantees who will build and upgrade reliable, affordable high-speed internet networks across the state, and perhaps most importantly, it means that they can now request access to more than $1.2 billion that NTIA has allocated to the state,” says Courtney Dozier, Deputy Director of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
The BEAD program, a $42.45 billion state grant initiative authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks nationwide to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service. Once the deployment goals are met, remaining funds can be used for internet adoption, training, workforce development, and other eligible uses.
“Last June, we informed every state and territory of their portion of the $42 billion in the BEAD grant program funding. After that announcement, states had six months to submit their initial proposals for using those funds. All states and territories met the deadline and submitted their plans by December 27, 2023, making 2024 the year of execution,” says Dozier.
According to Wheeler, this is a major milestone in the “Internet for All” program, with the Internet now being the central tool for communication in our modern world. With the end goal of broadband expansion providing state residents full access to the digital economy and society that exists worldwide, the Washington State Broadband Team has three main goals: universal access, equitable economic development, and scalability and sustainability.
“Providing every business and household with broadband access by 2028, supporting economic growth, job creation, and workforce development through the expanded broadband areas, and creating robust broadband connections for our state citizens that will last for generations to come, are goals that we are actively pursuing,” says Wheeler.
The Internet for All Seattle initiative also guides the work of the City of Seattle’s Digital Equity Program, as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Digital Equity Act grant programs are two of the most impactful parts of the federal Internet for All initiative.
“The ACP is a direct subsidy program that helps pay for the cost of internet access,” says Jon Morrison Winters, Digital Equity Program and Broadband Manager, Seattle IT. “We estimate about 40,000 Seattle households signed up. Unfortunately, the program has run out of funds and is being wound down, although there is still some hope that Congress will extend the program.
Morrison Winters says that the Digital Equity Act grant programs could significantly impact Seattle, where existing infrastructure already provides connectivity to most residents. The primary challenges relate to affordability, digital skills, and language access.
Despite significant progress in addressing the digital divide in the region, a 2024 City of Seattle Technology Access and Adoption Study found that 8,100 Seattle households have no way to access the internet at home.
“Internet access has significantly increased since 2018, the last time the Study was conducted,” says Morrison Winters. “Currently, 98% of Seattle residents have some way of accessing the internet at home. This is an increase from 95% in 2018. At the same time, the study uncovered demographic disparities in measures of overall connectivity that include internet, devices, and skills. We estimate nearly 44,000 households have significant digital connectedness needs.”
With at-home internet access being critical for college and university students in the City of Seattle who are not living on campus and need to complete studies at home, the City of Seattle offers free Wi-fi at public facilities, including libraries and City community centers to help alleviate some of the struggles that are associated with not having internet access at home.
Currently, the Washington state channels process is open and everyone is encouraged to participate. By participating in the channels process, an opportunity for eligible challengers to increase the accuracy of our broadband service location map, is an essential step in bringing broadband internet to those who have not had access in the past.
“Today is a great day for the Internet for all initiative and it is a great day for Washington, I again want to congratulate the Washington state property in office for their great work and leadership that went into this proposal,” says Dozier. “This has really been a team effort and we have enjoyed working with them for the better part of the last year to get to where we are now.”
“At the federal level, there is now a recognition that the internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity. There is an acknowledgment that internet access is an equity issue. Having federal funding and federal support through programs like ACP will allow us to achieve our digital equity goals,” says Morrison Winters.
“I would like to give a special thanks to our other partners across the state, including members of the legislature, local governments, and tribes who see this work as a critical piece that will contribute to their community’s future success,” says Wheeler.
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support by Comcast NBCUniversal.
