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Commerce briefs committee on broadband rollout, workforce and industry outreach
Summary
The Department of Commerce told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee it is deploying state broadband funds, administering federally funded capital projects and preparing for deployment of a roughly $580 million BEAD allocation to connect unserved and underserved Idaho homes and businesses.
Brooke Dupree, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented the Department of Commerce’s budget and highlighted the newly created broadband office and recent federal and state broadband funding.
Dupree said the department’s broadband office was created in the previous legislative session to increase transparency for broadband spending; the office is funded in part by state transfers and federal grants. Key funds and status items presented to the committee included a $35 million Idaho Broadband Fund (state general fund transfer) with about $26.5 million already obligated and roughly $8.5 million remaining; a $120 million capital fund that is contracted to 18 projects connecting about 35,000 homes and businesses; and a roughly $580 million Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program allocation under IIJA that Commerce is preparing to deploy.
Tom Keeley, director of the Department of Commerce, and Ramon J. Sanchez, broadband manager, described the BEAD implementation timeline. Sanchez said the office opened a pre‑qualification phase in Q1 to screen potential applicants and planned to open the funding application phase in Q2, evaluate proposals over the summer, and prepare a final package for federal review in mid‑fall with the goal of funds moving within about a year if approved: “Quarter 1 of this calendar year, we opened the pre qualification phase…The next step would be our funding application phase in Q2 of this calendar year,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez explained the BEAD program’s technology priorities: the federal guidance prioritizes fiber, then licensed fixed wireless, and permits alternative technologies (including low‑Earth‑orbit satellites such as Starlink) when fiber or licensed fixed wireless are not feasible or are cost‑prohibitive. He said Idaho is “technologically agnostic” and will prioritize the best solution to deliver required speeds to unserved or underserved homes and businesses.
Committee members asked about Commerce’s role in workforce development, childcare and attracting industries such as AI and advanced energy firms. Keeley said the department coordinates workforce and economic development efforts, works with the Idaho Workforce Development Council and tech hubs, and supports industry engagement around cybersecurity, AI and energy supply chains. He noted Commerce’s role administering private activity bonds that are often used for housing development and described efforts to share best practices for accelerating housing production in communities with shortages.
On broadband collaboration, Sanchez said Idaho works with roughly 90 internet service providers and offers planning grants to local jurisdictions; the department funded 15 local planning grants to support BEAD project planning and boost collaboration between private and public partners.
Director Keeley highlighted coordination with federal programs and regional partners, especially for energy and AI supply chains, and said Commerce will continue working with Visit Idaho and regional partners to identify tourism opportunities tied to large events.
Ending: The committee had no formal votes during the hearing. Commerce directors and broadband staff remain available for follow‑up questions and analysts directed members to LBB and the Commerce SharePoint materials for project‑level details.
