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NEWPORT — The Public Utility District has been selected for a preliminary award of $12.4 million through the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, administered in Washington by the state Broadband Office.
The funding, along with $4.1 million in state matching dollars, is expected to support fiber broadband projects that will extend service to approximately 2,500 homes in Pend Oreille County. Pend Oreille PUD applied for five project areas and received preliminary approval on three, which are located in the southern part of the county, according to a news release.
“This represents a major step forward for our communities,” PUD General Manager Chris Jones said in a news release. “Reliable, affordable broadband is essential for education, health care, small business, and quality of life. This funding will help us make real progress toward closing the digital divide here in Pend Oreille County.”
The preliminary awards are part of Washington’s $1.2 billion allocation from the BEAD program, a national effort to expand broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas.
The State Broadband Office will submit its final proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration this month, with federal review expected to conclude later this year. All awards remain preliminary until that process is complete.
Jim Cupples works with broadband development for the Port of Pend Oreille. Cupples said the Trump Administration has already made adjustments to the broadband program, so he is optimistic they will be awarded. The state made the selection and before the broadband networks are built, an environmental review must be conducted.
He said Inland Cellular and Amazon Kuiper were awarded preliminary grants for part of the north county for wireless broadband there.
