Washington State's Plan for Affordable Broadband

To bridge the digital divide in Washington and strive to meet the state's universal broadband goals, the Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) recognizes the intrinsic link between affordability and accessibility. The State of Washington is committed to investing in universal broadband access that is affordable, reliable, scalable, and sustainable to support equitable economic development and connect every community throughout the state, enriching the lives of all Washington residents and businesses. A key objective in Washington's Internet for All plan is that every business and household in Washington state should have affordable access to the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, etc. This includes reducing barriers to access through policy and programs, such as:

• Increasing awareness of benefits and enrollment of eligible households in Lifeline, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), or any successor program.
• Expanding the availability and awareness of non-federally funded subsidy and grant programs to increase the affordability of broadband.

Affordability is part of the scoring criteria WSBO will use to evaluate proposals for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding.