(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
announced that Washington state will receive over $40 million in federal grants
to expand access to high-speed, affordable broadband to underserved rural
communities. Funding for the grants were included in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and could provide 33,700 people and 1,470 businesses
across Washington state access to high-speed internet.
“Families
and small business owners in communities across Washington state need and
deserve access to high-speed internet that’s already available in cities and
towns across the country,” said
Senator Patty Murray. “It
should be our goal to make sure that a community’s ZIP code never limits their
access to broadband internet. These grants will help lay the critical
groundwork needed to make that goal a reality.”
“Investing
in broadband infrastructure is an investment in our communities, our economy
and our nation, which will provide dividends for decades to come,” Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
said. “This
broadband infrastructure Recovery Act funding will leverage private dollars to
create jobs and improve access to crucial services in underserved rural
communities in Washington state. These grants are part of our broader push to
bridge the digital divide and provide for universal access to high-speed
Internet, so every American can receive equal educational, business and
employment opportunities no matter where they live in Washington
state.”
Senator Murray
is a longtime supporter of expanding broadband access to communities throughout
Washington state. Senator Murray has introduced and supported several bills
that aim to bring high-speed internet access to rural areas including the
Community Telecommunications Planning Act, the Broadband Internet Access Act
and the Rural Broadband Enhancement Act. She has also worked to include funding
for access programs in the Farm Bill and Recovery Act. Senator Murray has also
chaired conferences around the state, aimed at helping small and rural
communities take advantage of new telecommunications technologies.
Senator
Cantwell is deeply committed to expanding access to high-speed broadband
Internet service across Washington and the nation. She sees high-speed broadband
as a critical element for economic development, as a means to strengthen our
global competitiveness, and for improving the quality of life for residents in
communities large and small, urban and rural. Senator Cantwell has worked to
increase broadband access for all Washingtonians, and she strongly supported
the inclusion of broadband grant and loan programs in ARRA.
The
following projects were awarded grants:
Public
Utility District 1 of Chelan County – $24,963,089
This
$25 million grant to the Public Utility District 1 of Chelan County with an
additional $8.3 million of outside capital will extend its Fiber-to-the-Premise
(FTTP) infrastructure to serve the remaining 6,811 rural premises that are
still without access to broadband. Public Utility District 1 of Chelan County’s
project stands to benefit approximately 16,000 people, 135 businesses, and 15
community institutions. In addition to the jobs this project will create
upfront, it will help drive economic development and create jobs for decades to
come.
Public
Utility District 1 of Okanogan County – $9,169,637
This
$9.1 million grant to Public Utility District 1 of Okanogan County with an
additional $9.9 million of outside capital will extend high-speed broadband to
6,543 residents and businesses located in rural, unserved and underserved
Okanogan County using a fiber backbone and 170 wireless access nodes. Public
Utility District 1 of Okanogan County’s project stands to benefit approximately
13,000 people, 1,100 businesses, and 35 community institutions. In addition to
the jobs this project will create upfront, it will help drive economic
development and create jobs for decades to come.
Hood
Canal Telephone Co., Inc. – $3,616,000
This
$3.6 million award to Hood Canal Telephone Company, Inc. will expand broadband
service throughout rural Mason County, Washington. This proposal includes parts
of the Squaxin Indian Reservation, the area surrounding Pioneer School, and
several other developments. Hood Canal Telephone Company’s project stands to
benefit approximately 1,600 people, 35 businesses, and 5 community
institutions. In addition to the jobs this project will create upfront, it will
help drive economic development and create jobs for decades to come.
Cascade
Networks, Inc. – $3,731,069
This
$3.7 million award to Cascade Networks, Inc. with an additional $1.2 million of
outside capital will extend broadband reach beyond to unserved customers in
Columbia County, Oregon. Cascade Network’s project stands to benefit
approximately 3,100 people, 200 businesses, and 5 community institutions. In
addition to the jobs this project will create upfront, it will help drive
economic development and create jobs for decades to come.
McDaniel
Telephone Company – $1,192,951
This
$1.2 million grant to McDaniel Telephone Company with an additional $398,000
applicant-provided match will bring high-speed DSL broadband service to
unserved establishments within its rural service territory in Washington.
McDaniel Telephone’s project stands to benefit approximately 1,400 people, and
several businesses. In addition to the jobs this project will create upfront,
it will help drive economic development and create jobs for decades to come.
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