Will government funding solve Washington's digital divide?

Living here in many tribal and rural parts of Washington state, even on the fringes of cities including Seattle, Spokane and Leavenworth, means it’s often difficult or impossible to connect to the online world. When the pandemic largely turned the online world into the world for many urbanites, hundreds of thousands of people in Washington were shut out. The federal government has spent billions trying to solve the digital divide — a project many say is as big and necessary as it once was to get electricity into every home — and is on the verge of spending more than ever. Congress last month approved $65 billion for expanding broadband in its massive infrastructure bill. Of that, $2 billion is reserved for Tribal lands — where only 65 percent of residents had broadband access as of 2019, according to the US Department of Interior — on top of $1 billion allocated earlier this year. Separately, the state Broadband Office is about to start giving out grants using money already allocated by the Legislature. Many are seizing the moment, but whether all the cash coming down the pike will be put to good use is another matter.