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Northwest Regional Planning Commission describes interim broadband plan, PSC funding rounds
Summary
Sheldon Johnson of the Northwest Regional Planning Commission briefed the committee on an interim regional broadband plan, Public Service Commission application rounds, and a six‑month extension to allow updates after PSC awards are published.
Sheldon Johnson, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, told the committee the regional broadband plan submitted in April is currently interim while the commission waits for the Public Service Commission (PSC) to publish funding results from round 1 and to open rounds 2 and 3.
Johnson said Visions Northwest and other partners funded the plan and that the PSC has distributed grant opportunities tied to federal funding intended to expand broadband. He explained that round 1 decisions are embargoed by the PSC and that award maps the PSC will publish later this year should show which areas remain eligible for rounds 2 and 3.
"Round 1 is concluded...the providers know if they receive funding or not, but that information will not be made available until later this fall," Johnson said. He added that the PSC received hundreds of applications statewide and that the total federal request ran into the billions of dollars; he emphasized that the interim plan will be updated once award information is public.
Johnson said the commission secured a six‑month extension of its PSC contract to allow incorporation of award maps and additional details. He also noted national discussion at the Department of Commerce/NTIA level about whether grant emphasis should broaden beyond fiber to include satellite and cellular technologies.
Johnson invited committee members to consult the commission’s online plan and said he will return with additional updates when PSC maps and round results are available.
