The Washington State Broadband Office announced $145 million in funding for 13 construction plans across the state to deliver high-speed internet to residents in communities lacking broadband internet services.

Jefferson County Public Utility District No. 1 was included in the funding and awarded $9.7 million for its Jefferson North Project — a broadband infrastructure endeavor that encompasses most of Marrowstone Island, homes along a portion of Highway 19 and Parkridge Drive, and most residences on the west side of the Quimper Peninsula. Additionally, Jefferson County provided matching funds of $750,000 for the broadband project.

Residents living within the sections that the utility district will add broadband internet infrastructure to can upgrade to high-speed internet after the project is completed in late 2024, according to Will O’Donnell of the PUD.

“It’s an open access network, so other providers will be able to offer them services as well,” O’Donnell said of residents upgrading their internet access.

The Jefferson North Project isn’t set to start until later in 2022, and is one branch of the PUD’s four-part plan to bring high-speed internet to Jefferson County.

The three other pieces cover parts of Quilcene, Discovery Bay, Chimacum and elsewhere in Jefferson County, and are detailed at www.jeffpud.org/project-areas.

“Infrastructure is the foundation for digital equity. From education and healthcare to e-commerce and community services, the daily essentials needed for people and our economy to thrive are increasingly found online,” said Lisa Brown, commerce director for the Washington State Department of Commerce. “Washington state’s goal is to ensure all of our residents have access to affordable high-speed internet, as well as the devices, skills, and confidence needed to connect with critical resources.”