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State broadband director outlines BEAD awards, technology mix and permitting plan
Summary
Jordan Arnold, director of the Washington State Broadband Office, told the Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee that Washington’s provisional BEAD awards would connect about 166,000 locations, that $736 million of federal BEAD funds are currently available for deployment, and that WISBO is pursuing permitting roundtables and NEPA expertise to accelerate builds.
Jordan Arnold, director of the Washington State Broadband Office, told the Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee on Feb. 4 that Washington is prepared to move quickly once the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approves the state’s final BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) proposal.
Arnold said the program will “connect 166,000 homes and small businesses in Washington,” and described a provisional technology split of roughly 35% fiber, 38% fixed wireless and 27% low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite for the locations the BEAD awards target. He told the committee the provisional awards are still contingent on NTIA sign-off.
Why it matters: BEAD is a once-in-a-generation federal investment intended to close broadband gaps. Arnold said the project portfolio represents the largest broadband infrastructure investment in Washington…
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