Grants will help Whidbey extend broadband on Point

Whidbey Telecom has received grant funding to continue their push to build a fiber network to serve all the businesses and homes on the Point.

“We continue to invest in Point Roberts and are excited about these opportunities,” said Whidbey Telecom chief operating officer Donna Hilty at a January 20 Zoom meeting of the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC).

“Over the past couple of years, access to adequate internet speeds has gained attention from state and federal governments. Better connections and higher speeds are vitally important in this time where so much is done remotely.”

In late 2021, Hilty said, they had received two federal grants totaling over $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that, combined with matching funds from the company, will be used to extend the fiber network to areas along the south and western edges of the Point.

Boundaries of the areas chosen for the expansion, she explained, were determined by which areas experienced speeds under the thresholds for grant eligibility. When grants initially became available they were for areas that had no or extremely slow internet speeds. As eligibility requirements relax and more areas become eligible, Whidbey Telecom will continue to look for grant opportunities.

One that got away, Hilty said, was a grant from the state broadband office. “We submitted for this grant in partnership with peer companies,” she said. “In our original application, we had included Point Roberts; however, we had to take Point Roberts out of the application. One of the requirements was letters of support from Whatcom County officials which we were unable to get.”

Whidbey Telecom representative Martha Ford clarified that they were unable to pursue $1 million in grant funding for fiber infrastructure in Point Roberts because county executive Satpal Sidhu declined to provide a letter of support.

“We’re not going to let that slow us down and we will continue to apply for all grants available,” Hilty said. The company is also looking for funding for projects to improve redundancies in the system, from a submarine cable to agreements improving transmission speeds through Canada.

Asked for comment by the All Point Bulletin, the county executive’s office released the following statement:

“The Whatcom County Executive’s Office received requests for letters of support for the Port’s application and Whidbey Telecom’s application for state broadband funds. The Port’s proposal aims to make available quality and affordable broadband service to at least 1,110 homes in a timely manner. Whidbey Telecom’s proposal was less impressive in its scope, and questions remained about the timeliness of implementation and affordability of service. Recognizing that the State Broadband Office likely would not award two grants to Whatcom County projects, a letter of support was provided only for the Port’s project. We are happy to see this project receive funding.

“At the same time, this should not be seen as a sign that Point Roberts is not a priority for the county’s broadband infrastructure development. The county is working with multiple partners to support broadband expansion in Point Roberts. While not yet finalized, these plans present an opportunity to markedly increase the quality and accessibility of broadband for Point Roberts residents and in a shorter timeframe than has previously been proposed by service providers in the area.”

One of Whidbey Telecom’s ongoing challenges to installing fiber for Point Roberts homes and businesses has been hiring qualified people to do the work on the Point. “We’re hiring!” Hilty said and directed applicants to the company website whidbeytel.com and following the careers link at the bottom of the home page.

She also encouraged Point Roberts residents and businesses to write letters to support the company’s grant applications and send them to The BiGGiG@whidbeytel.com.

Gina Starr with the Port of Bellingham’s Rural Broadband Project also addressed the committee, explaining the port’s program to build open access fiber infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas. While there are no projects planned for the Point, “We are assessing needs and hearing from the community,” she told the committee, as they plan future projects.