Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County accepts nearly $1 million USDA broadband award; county also approves expanded ARPA broadband grants for residents and businesses
Summary
Washington County accepted a USDA grant of $999,950 to extend licensed fixed‑wireless service to roughly 500 previously unserved addresses and authorized expanding its ARPA broadband grant program with a higher per‑project cap to help more residences and local businesses connect.
Washington County officials told the Health & Human Services Committee on March 13 they expect a $999,950 USDA broadband grant to be deposited into county accounts immediately, and the committee moved the award into a capital projects budget account.
Why it matters: The award will fund upgrades at roughly a dozen towers and provide homeowner premises equipment for approximately 500 addresses the county previously identified as unserved. The county said licensed fixed wireless was chosen because it can deliver stable service more quickly than fiber in many high‑cost rural locations.
Program details reported in the meeting
- USDA award: The county expects $999,950 to arrive and approved a motion to move the funds to a capital projects line (the county expects multiple tower equipment upgrades and homeowner premises installations; households will be responsible for monthly service subscription with an ISP once equipment is installed).
- ARPA local grant program expansion: County officials also directed the regional planning board to proceed to a second round of ARPA broadband awards and approved raising the per‑project cap for the next round. The committee set a new cap of $10,000 per award for the expanded round (the committee discussed $20,000 as an initial suggestion, then adopted $10,000). The expanded program will allow higher assistance for long driveways or other higher‑cost connections and to include businesses in future rounds.
- State BEAD process and uncertainty: County staff reminded the committee that state and federal BEAD (broadband equity) programs are under review and that the state has revised RFP requirements, including allowing mixed technologies and changing per‑pass cost constraints. County officials said the USDA award should make near‑term progress in closing gaps while the larger state BEAD process remains uncertain.
Next steps and local impact
County IT and planning staff will coordinate tower upgrades, install premises equipment for eligible addresses, and publish sign‑up details for residents identified on the county’s target list. The ARPA round‑2 program will accept applications from residents and qualifying businesses; county staff said eligible providers and applicants will be notified through the planning board and county communications channels.
