The point roberts middle mile infrastructure project award will provide funding for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of middle mile infrastructure for the underserved community of…

The Whidbey Telephone Company was awarded a $16,831,726 Project Grant from the Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Middle Mile (Broadband) Grant Program (CFDA 11.033). The grant will fund the construction of 47.6 miles of new underground terrestrial fiber and 63.1 miles of undersea fiber to expand middle mile broadband infrastructure in Point Roberts, Washington and surrounding communities. This new middle mile network will provide improved broadband access to approximately 104,000 residents across Whidbey Island, Lummi Nation lands, San Juan County, and Point Roberts, as well as 11 anchor institutions, six of which are currently unserved. The project aims to stimulate economic growth in these underserved areas by facilitating e-commerce, remote work opportunities, and connectivity for local businesses and schools. No sub-awards were associated with this award to expand broadband access through new middle mile infrastructure construction by June 2028.

Activities

Project will use fiber to build new and resilient mile network through unserved and underserved communities with a commitment to open access and carrier neutral non-discriminatory interconnect. The period of performance is expected to be 5 years.

Expected outcomes

Whidbey telephone company (WTC) will provide middle mile access to all of whidbey island 80,000 residents, 5,000 residents of lummi nation, 17,000 residents of SAN juan county and 1,200 residents of point roberts (currently unserved). The project will also enable connection to 11 anchor institutions, 6 of which are currently unserved (port roberts). In addition, WTC will provide middle mile access to thousands of residents in mainland northwest whatcom county. Access to high-speed broadband will lead to economic improvements including:-allowing for the local economy to be diversified by facilitating interaction with the global economy and creating more opportunities for businesses to grow through E-commerce and online business tools.-drawing businesses and investors to these communities who otherwise would not consider them.-strengthening the economy by attracting new residents and increasing property values.-enabling residents and those relocating from more urban areas to work remotely from home and encourages the development of local and home-based online businesses.

Intended beneficiaries

This project will directly impact the community of point roberts, washington. Located just south of vancouver BC's metro area, point roberts is exclusively accessed through canada or by small plane, ferry, and boats. Due to the geographic isolation of this portion of washington state, point roberts currently lacks the infrastructure to develop and provide adequate access to high-speed broadband. Per ntia's indicators of broadband need map, the entire project area for this buildout has reported speeds of below 25/3. Specifically, the project will provide middle mile access to all of whidbey island 80,000 residents, 5,000 residents of lummi nation, 17,000 residents of SAN juan county and 1,200 residents of point roberts (currently unserved). The project will also enable connection to 11 anchor institutions, 6 of which are currently unserved (port roberts). The community members of point roberts have many economic, educational, and healthcare needs that can be addressed by bringing reliable and high-speed internet to the area. The middle mile will allow the county of whatcom and surrounding areas, including the lummi nation, to connect to this backbone. The project will serve students in the blaine school district which includes 2,164 students. By providing the community with access to high-speed and affordable broadband, IT will help enhance the educational opportunities for residents of point roberts and communities surrounding interconnection points. The project will also provide needed redundancy to the whidbey island naval air station.

Subrecipient activities

There are no sub awards.