Representative Adam Smith Hosts Broadband Equity Roundtable to Discuss Ongoing Efforts to Expand Access to High-Speed Internet Throughout Washington State
SEATTLE, WA - On Friday, August 18, Representative Adam Smith hosted a roundtable with representatives from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and community partners and stakeholders to discuss broadband access in Washington state and newly announced funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021.
"High-speed internet is essential for connecting people to school, work, health care, and more, and we have a lot of work to do to expand broadband access in King County and across Washington state. It was great to sit down with local, state, and federal stakeholders on Friday to discuss the ongoing efforts to implement funding under the BEAD program," said Rep. Adam Smith. "$1.23 billion is coming to our state for broadband infrastructure and digital equity projects to make sure that everyone, including rural and underserved communities, has internet access. During the roundtable, we talked about the need to build broadband infrastructure quickly and expand programs to make internet affordable for everyone in the state. I'm grateful to the roundtable participants for their work to connect everyone in Washington to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet and I commend the Biden-Harris Administration for their commitment to closing the digital divide and investing in America."
Roundtable Participants
- Sabra Schneider - Chief Information Officer, City of Bellevue
- Tommy Lee - Project/ Program Manager, King County
- Bre Urness-Straight - Director of Educational Technology, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Monik Martinez - Director, 4Tomorrow
- Tracey Blackburn - Federal Program Officer, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce
- Mike Buschman -Library Development Manager and LSTA Coordinator, Washington State Library, Office of the Secretary of State
- Mark Vasconi - Director, Washington State Broadband Office, Washington State Department of Commerce
Background
On June 26, the Biden-Harris Administration announced over $40 billion for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment through the BEAD program - the largest internet funding announcement in history. Washington recently received $1.23 billion to connect more people to broadband, including unserved and underserved communities. Thanks to funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress in 2021, the BEAD program is connecting everyone in America to affordable, reliable, and high-speed internet and is a crucial part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda.
From left to right: Mike Buschman (Washington State Library), Monik Martinez (4Tomorrow), Sabra Schneider (City of Bellevue), Bre Urness-Straight (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction), Mark Vasconi (Washington State Department of Commerce), Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09), Tommy Lee (King County)
###