Clark County marks completion of Battleground Lake broadband build, flags $1.2B state BED award
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Summary
County policy analyst said the ARPA‑funded Battleground Lake project connected about 476 homes after a partnership with Comcast, freed roughly $1 million in ARPA funds by reducing county contribution, and noted Washington's $1.2 billion NTIA‑approved BED award to expand broadband statewide.
Clark County officials on March 4 told the council that an ARPA‑funded partnership with Comcast has completed broadband work in the Battleground Lake area, connecting approximately 476 homes that previously lacked high‑speed internet.
“Those folks, almost 500 homes have been connected,” Jordan Bogie, the county’s policy analyst, told the council, adding the final total was 476. Bogie said roughly 30 properties lack owner consent for final on‑property hookup but that fiber is run nearby so future connections should be straightforward.
The county originally budgeted about $4,000,000 for its share of the project but reduced that contribution to about $3,000,000 after finding efficiencies with the partner, Bogie said, freeing about $1,000,000 in ARPA dollars for other county uses.
The update also flagged a separate, larger federal funding development. Bogie said Washington state has received final approval from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BED) program, which he said will provide about $1,200,000,000 to the state to expand high‑speed internet over the next four years.
“The goal is to get every un‑ and underserved location throughout the state” connected, Bogie said, and he noted that the BED program has shifted to a platform‑neutral approach that can include fiber, fixed wireless and satellite deployments.
Councilors responded favorably. One councilor stressed the complexity of multiagency work since 2021 and thanked staff for following the project through to completion. The chair noted the project came in under original budget estimates.
Next steps include continuing to monitor private applications for BED dollars, coordinating franchise agreements with multiple providers, and tracking remaining on‑property connections for Battleground Lake residents. Bogie said the county will pursue grant and private‑partner opportunities to spur further private investment and lower consumer prices.