Commerce, Washington State Department of

Purpose: the Purpose of This Grant Is to Support Closing the Broadband Availability Gap and Support the Development of a Five-year Action Plan. the Proposed Project Includes the Following Planning and Pre-deployment Activities: Research and Data Collection, Including Initial Identification of Unserved Locations and Underserved Locations Consistent With Rules, Regulations, and Processes Commission Has Established for Making Determinations in Broadband Data Maps; the Development of a Preliminary Budget for Pre-planning Activities; Publications, Outreach, and Communications Support; Providing Technical Assistance to Potential Subgrantees, Including Through Workshops and Events; Training for Employees of Broadband Program or Office of Eligible Entity or Employees or Political Subdivisions of Eligible Entity, and Related Staffing Capacity or Consulting or Contracted Support to Effectuate Goals of Bead Program; Establishing, Operating, or Increasing Capacity of a Broadband Office That Oversees Broadband Programs and Broadband Deployment in an Eligible Entity; Asset Mapping Across the Eligible Entity to Catalogue Broadband Adoption, Affordability, Equity, Access and Deployment Activities Occurring Within the Eligible Entity; Conducting Surveys of Unserved, Underserved, and Underrepresented Communities to Better Understand Barriers to Adoption; Costs Associated With Meeting the Local Coordination Requirements in Section IV.C.1.C of This Nofo Including Capacity Building at the Local and Regional Levels or Contracted Support. Expected Outcomes: the Outcomes of Washington's Proposed Project Are a Comprehensive Five-year Action Plan and Initial Proposal, and Ensuring That That Everyone in Washington Has Access to the Broadband Internet Resources That They Need and Access to a Reliable, Affordable, High-speed Broadband Connection; Ensuring That Broadband Projects Are Awarded to Unserved and Underserved Areas in the State and Do Not Result in Overbuilt Areas; Securing a Single Contractor to Provide Support for the De and Bead Program Processes So That These Plans Can Be Developed Concurrently; Stakeholder Engagement in Communities Throughout Washington; Aligning Washington's Planned Spending With Its Economic Development, Community Benefit, Workforce, Telehealth, Digital Equity and Other Related Efforts; Being Better Informed by Collaboration With Local, Regional, and Tribal Entities, as Well as Unions and Worker Organizations; Detailed Investment Priorities and Associated Costs. Intended Beneficiaries: the Intended Beneficiaries Are Unserved and Underserved Groups in the State of Washington With a Focus on Rural and Unserved Populations. Subrecipient Activities: the Recipient Does Not Intend to Intend to Subaward Funds.