Review the July Office Hours recording and get highlights
Our next Office Hours meeting is on Aug. 12. Register for Aug. 12 Office Hours
The WSBO held Office Hours on July 8.
All previous Office Hours recordings and Broadband Bulletins are available in the “Additional Resources” section on our BEAD page.
Public Records Notice: Meeting registration information, such as name and email address, is a public record and may be subject to disclosure, pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW: PUBLIC RECORDS ACT.
BEAD funding update
WSBO is awaiting formal NTIA guidance on how states may deploy their remaining BEAD non-deployment funding. Washington was awarded over $1 billion and has committed about $700 million, leaving more than $400 million available. NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth recently testified before Congress that guidance will be released this summer, which WSBO views as an encouraging signal that remaining funds will indeed be disbursed.
WSBO emphasized that our top priority remains connecting everyone in Washington to reliable high-speed internet, including communities missed by BEAD.
Remaining funds may also help address cost overruns for BEAD projects. Administrator Roth mentioned during her testimony that NTIA is considering pole attachment/make-ready support, though this is not yet confirmed.
Tribal federal broadband funding opportunities
Two NTIA programs are currently open, both with Sep. 17 deadlines:
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) – Round 3
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Funding: Approximately $540 million
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Eligible applicants: Tribes and tribal colleges
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Uses:
- Use/adoption projects: $500,000 to $2.5 million
- Infrastructure projects: $1 million to $25 million
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Special features: Equitable distribution awards for tribes that haven’t received Round 1 or 2 allocations
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Prioritization:
- Use/adoption projects from tribal governments (with BEAD consent resolutions)
- Infrastructure deployment projects
Native Entities Grant Program
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Funding: $250 million (Digital Equity Act tribal set‑aside)
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Eligible applicants: Tribes only
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Uses: Digital inclusion activities such as use/adoption, workforce development, broadband subsidies, and public broadband access
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Awards: $500,000 to $2.5 million
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Match: 10% required (waivers possible but may reduce competitiveness)
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Prioritization: Tribal governments with BEAD consent resolutions
BEAD contract finalization
WSBO posted the final BEAD contract and handbook online. Many edits couldn’t be accepted due to state-required language or NTIA rules. WSBO acknowledged frustrations and plans to clarify which sections are flexible vs. mandated in future processes.
The deadline to sign is October 8. Although the deadline for submitting redlines has passed, WSBO invites preliminary awardees to schedule a meeting if anything in the final contract is a potential barrier to signing.
So far, WSBO has signed one contract, and several more are close to being signed. No preliminary awardees in Washington have backed out.
NEPA milestone schedule overview
WSBO introduced the template for the required NEPA milestone schedule for all project areas. The milestone schedule tracks NEPA progress and associated state/local/federal permits. Key points:
- Subgrantees will work with EA Engineering (WSBO’s NEPA contractor) and their infrastructure specialist to prepare the schedule.
- Schedules will be updated every six months in alignment with semi-annual reporting.
- This is strictly a planning tool, not a compliance tool. Delays in permits won’t be counted “against” anyone.
The schedule is available on the WSBO’s BEAD page under the BEAD NEPA/NHPA and Permitting Timelines drop-down.
General Q&A highlights
Use of remaining BEAD funds
WSBO hopes NTIA will allow funds to support households missed by BEAD (such as homes with telephone service but no broadband). Guidance from NTIA is still forthcoming.
Declined project areas
No subgrantee has declined their project area. If that occurs, the next steps will depend on the specifics of the projects. Our colleagues in Oregon recently rebid about 12,000 locations after four preliminary awardees declined their awards. Oregon began by reaching out to priority applicants who had previously applied for each declined project area, then to other qualified applicants, and competitively selected six awardees to serve the affected projects.
Adjusting BSLs in the fabric
After signing their contract, subgrantees may request removal of Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs) in certain cases; for example, if a location is a hay bale or another ineligible BEAD location. Some changes require approval only from WSBO, and others require approval from both WSBO and NTIA. WSBO can approve changes of up to 20% or 200 BSLs (whichever is smaller) of total locations in a single project without involving NTIA. For example, WSBO can approve scope changes for a 650-BSL project if the number of affected BSLs is fewer than 190. Different removal reasons require different documentation.
Fixed wireless towers and permits
NEPA review is generally completed at the project-area level, but towers/segments may be split if certain NEPA conditions are met. Permit acquisition proceeds in parallel and does not need to be completed before NEPA work starts.
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