In addition to the American Rescue Plan relief, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Washington state will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage to at least 241,000 people in the state who currently lack it
Senator Murray: “I’m so glad we were able to pass major investments in high-speed internet and digital inclusion in both the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which put us firmly on the path toward universal broadband, will help cut costs, and finally bridge the digital divide.”
ICYMI: Senator Murray Announces American Rescue Plan Broadband Awards for Schools and Libraries in Washington State – HERE
***WATCH VIDEO OF THE EVENT HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined school, library, and community officials to discuss how the American Rescue Plan is helping to expand broadband access across Washington State and lower internet costs for families. During the event, Senator Murray also highlighted how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help students and families get online, lower costs for households with low incomes, and ensure everyone can make the most of an internet connection once they have one. According to the White House, there are currently at least 241,000 people in Washington state who lack broadband coverage.
“I have been pushing for better broadband access since before the pandemic, but it wasn’t until COVID-19 hit that we really got everyone’s ears to perk up on this issue,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why I’m so glad we were able to pass major investments in high-speed internet and digital inclusion in both the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which put us firmly on the path toward universal broadband, will help cut costs, and finally bridge the digital divide.”
A longtime advocate for expanding broadband access, Senator Murray worked to include nearly $7 billion in flexible funding for Washington state and its local governments in the American Rescue Plan, some of which has been used for broadband. Local broadband projects are also eligible for competitive grants through the Capital Projects Fund established by the American Rescue Plan, which can directly support remote work, education, and health monitoring through broadband deployment and adoption programs. Washington state was allocated nearly $200 million from the fund and the Washington State Broadband Office will distribute the awards on a competitive basis.
In addition to the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senator Murray helped to craft and pass, will provide at least $100 million for broadband deployment in Washington state to help families access reliable, high-speed internet, with more federal dollars available through grant funding. The law establishes a new Affordable Connectivity Program that will make the existing Emergency Broadband Benefit permanent and expand its eligibility to help an estimated 1,409,000 or 19% of Washington state residents, who will be eligible for $30/month benefit to get online. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has one year to issue new broadband label rules that will provide transparency on the broadband rates paid by consumers.
Notably, the legislation also includes Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act which will provide $2.75 billion in grants to states and local communities to help close the digital divide and make sure everyone has the tools they need to get online and get connected. Specifically, the Digital Equity Act is a historic investment in digital inclusion for localcommunities—focusing on key needs outside of just broadband deployment. The funding from the Digital Equity Act grants could be used for anything from laptops and devices for students to digital literacy classes for seniors at a local library.
Senator Murray was joined by Jorge Castillo, CEO for Inspire of Washington state; Joey Castilleja, Superintendent of Mabton School District; Eric Smith, Technology, Student Data and Assessment Director for Elma School District; and Lois Langer Thompson, Executive Director of Sno-Isle Libraries, who discussed how their local schools, libraries, and communities are using American Rescue Plan funds to expand internet access.
“There’s a very real struggle for adequate, affordable internet connectivity in the rural areas we serve. In a few of the communities we serve, access to internet services are non-existent for families and to complicate this, cellular services are also extremely limited or non-existent,” said Jorge Castillo, CEO for Inspire of Washington state. “In 2021, Inspire received a funding commitment of $339,000 through the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Connectivity Fund. This funding was used to purchase 1,048 iPads used by children during remote learning and in the classroom. These, and all devices we’ve purchased for students and teachers, have been used to facilitate learning.”
“The dream of someday going one-to-one with devices for our students was exactly that for us—a dream before the pandemic,” said Joey Castilleja, Superintendent of Mabton School District. “When the pandemic did hit we were in emergency mode, and when you’re a little district like us, you piece and puzzle together funds where you can. The federal laws that helped expand digital access were an absolute godsend. We were able to put a computer in front of every single child down to kindergarten, provide more than 600 hotspots, and even put Wi-Fi on school buses. If there was anything positive about this pandemic it’s that it woke us up to this need.”
“I’ve served in the rural community of Elma for just about 30 years now, and I can attest to the impact of these past 3 years in our district. I just want to highlight the catalyst of COVID mixed with the access to these federal rescue dollars have really facilitated a growth that might have taken us a decade or more in a pre-pandemic world,” said Eric Smith, Technology, Student Data and Assessment Director for Elma School District. “The E-Rate and Emergency Connectivity Fund were huge for us, allowing us to reach a one-to-one model compared to our pre-Covid shortages where we were sharing carts and devices between classes and students.”
“Recently at one of our libraries, a customer brought his entire desktop computer in order to use the internet in order to run his business. This isn’t sustainable or a very effective method for business owners. Libraries can be an access point, but we cannot be the infrastructure for the state,” Lois Langer Thompson, Executive Director of Sno-Isle Libraries. “As a reference point for 2021, Sno-Isle Libraries hosted 1.5 million Wi-Fi sessions in our libraries. These happened in buildings, and in parking lots. And as noted, the parking lot can be a great place to check your email—but it is not the place to do a job interview, your homework, or talk to your doctor. But that enhanced extension and strengthening of the Wi-Fi to our parking lots was paid for through ARPA and CARES Act funding. Thank you Senator Murray for your leadership and support for funding at the federal level that leads us to ubiquitous, high speed that is reliable, affordable, and accessible for all, and that leads us to implementation at the local level to support equitable access for all.”
Just recently, Senator Murray announced more than $88 million in American Rescue Plan broadband investments for Washington state schools and libraries that she helped secure. In December, Senator Murray joined Pierce County elected officials and local education and community leaders to discuss how American Rescue Plan dollars are helping to expand broadband to underserved areas in Pierce County.
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