OLYMPIA – Sen. Christine Rolfes has introduced a bill that would allow public utility districts (PUDs) to offer retail telecommunications services.
“Internet service is not a luxury in today’s world, it is a necessity,” said Rolfes, a Bainbridge Island Democrat and 23rd District lawmaker.
“If a business can’t have an online presence or a student can’t log on to their school’s website, they cannot function let alone succeed,” she said. “The internet is as fundamental to our lives today as electricity and clean water are and were when PUDs were established nearly 90 years ago, and it only makes sense they can provide affordable internet service along with their other utilities.
“We have the infrastructure and we know the model works – Washingtonians and commissioners from Tonasket to Tacoma are asking for this,” Rolfes added. “It is time the Legislature listen.”
Wholesale high-speed internet is now offered by 14 PUDs in predominantly rural areas throughout Washington state. Telecommunications companies provide the retail services, as PUDs do not have the authority to offer retail services.
Rolfes’ Senate Bill 5139 would grant that authority to the state’s 28 PUDs, which are community owned and not-for-profit.
The senator said that’s especially critical in rural communities where telecommunications companies often opt not to operate. Roughly 10 percent of Americans, or 34 million people, are denied access to quality internet services. That number skyrockets among certain populations; 41 percent of Americans living on Tribal lands and 39 percent of rural Americans lack access to high speed internet. By contrast, only 4 percent of Americans in urban areas lack access.
The gap in universal access to quality internet for rural and tribal Americans is often referred to as the “last mile.”
“Sen. Rolfes was instrumental in working to ensure the voices of those in need of access to retail broadband services were heard,” said George Caan, executive director of the Washington Public Utility District Association. “The bill’s intent reflects the original driving force behind the formation of PUDs in Washington state: the need for access to the reliable utility services necessary to drive the economy and keep people comfortable in their homes.”
Rolfes was honored this week by the association, which presented her with the 2016 Legislative Champion Award.
Rolfes has pushed to give PUDs the authority to offer retail telecommunications services before. A similar bill by the senator received a hearing last legislative session.
