Larsen: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Delivers Reliable Broadband to Point Roberts and Underserved Northwest Washington Communities

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen | U.S. Representative Rick Larsen official website

By NW Washington News Report

Jun 19, 2023

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded an $11,782,208.20 grant to Whidbey Telecom for the company’s Point Roberts Middle Mile Infrastructure Project, which provides funding for the construction, improvement and acquisition of broadband infrastructure for Point Roberts and nearby underserved communities.

POINT ROBERTS, WA – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded an $11,782,208.20 grant to Whidbey Telecom for the company’s Point Roberts Middle Mile Infrastructure Project, which provides funding for the construction, improvement and acquisition of broadband infrastructure for Point Roberts and nearby underserved communities.

The funding comes from the NTIA’s Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure grant program, a $1 billion initiative established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest in projects that reduce the cost of bringing internet service to unserved and underserved communities.

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, reliable, high-speed internet is coming to Point Roberts and underserved communities across Northwest Washington,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “This critical investment helps close the digital divide and ensure more people in unserved and underserved communities can log on for job opportunities, grow their business, access telehealth appointments, do homework, and connect with family and friends.”

When complete, the Point Roberts Middle Mile Infrastructure Project will provide affordable, reliable broadband access to 1,200 unserved residents of Point Roberts, as well as 80,000 residents of Whidbey Island, 5,000 residents of Lummi Nation and 17,000 residents of San Juan County. Additionally, the project will provide needed redundancy to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The project includes 47.6 miles of new terrestrial underground fiber and 63.1 miles of undersea fiber.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 1 in 10 people in Washington state does not have an internet connection in their homes. An additional 500,000 households rely solely on limited cell phone data plans, while 30,000 households still use slower dial-up services.

Larsen a Champion of Broadband Investments

Larsen has long been a supporter of robust federal investment to deliver reliable, high-speed internet to more Northwest Washington communities:

ReConnect Loan for Hat Island – This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a $2,980,652 loan to the Hat Island Telephone Company, an affiliate of Whidbey Telecom, to provide affordable high-speed internet to 93 people, six businesses and one farm on Hat Island. The funding comes from the USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program.
State Awards of American Rescue Plan Funding – Last month, the Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $121 million in grants for 19 broadband construction projects, including $26,157,178 for six projects in Point Roberts, Bow and the San Juan Islands in Washington’s Second Congressional District. The grant funding comes from the state’s investment of the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund, which was established as part of the American Rescue Plan in March 2021.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Larsen supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests $65 billion over five years to deliver affordable, high-speed internet to every American, including $2 billion for the USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program. To date, Washington has received $5 million through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD) to help provide access to high-speed internet across the state. In addition, about 272,000 households in Washington are enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. Households can check their eligibility, sign up and find fully covered internet plans at GetInternet.gov.
Fiscal Year 2024 Spending Bill – Larsen supports Reps. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) and Zachary Nunn’s (IA-03) bipartisan request to provide robust funding for rural broadband initiatives at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including the ReConnect Program, in the upcoming Agriculture spending bill.