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Broadlink says $90 million in BEAD funding will reach thousands across Spokane County
Summary
Broadlink CEO Judith Schmidt told Spokane County commissioners the company is the county's only signed BEAD provisional awardee, is deploying a hybrid fiber/fixed‑wireless design to reach nearly 10,000 eligible addresses and expects preferred‑bid procurement in September with ground work by year‑end.
Judith Schmidt, who identifies herself as the CEO of Broadlink, updated the Spokane County commissioners on local BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) activity and on Broadlink’s deployment plans in Spokane County.
"BEAD stands for broadband equity access and deployment," Schmidt said, explaining the federal program and the state allocation that underpins local awards. She told the board Broadlink is currently the only signed contract among 27 provisional awardees active in the county and that Broadlink is stewarding about $90,000,000 of state and federal funding to deploy a hybrid network of fiber and fixed wireless to nearly 10,000 FCC‑coded eligible addresses.
Schmidt described a map of 13 project areas where Broadlink holds awards, said the company is refining designs, has procured materials, plans to solicit preferred‑contractor bids in September and hopes to begin ground work this year with a grant completion deadline of December 2029. She said the strategy uses towers in partnership with the county to bring fixed‑wireless service online faster than full fiber builds.
Broadlink also described an approximately $5 million USDA deployment targeted to roughly 400 homes north/south of Deer Park, where staff are seeking homeowner permissions for in‑home fiber connections; Broadlink emphasized a digital waiver process and a community center‑in‑a‑box concept to satisfy USDA requirements for an operated community site during the grant term.
Commissioners asked about equity‑bucket guidance from the federal program and state rulemaking; staff said final federal guidance is expected in August and that some federal equity funds have been earmarked for workforce development and resiliency projects.
What’s next: Broadlink and county staff will continue outreach to provisional awardees and prepare for a September contractor bid window; staff noted the firm timetable to meet the 2029 BEAD deadline.
