Governor signs HB 363 to establish Office of Broadband

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed into law HB 363, which establishes the Office of Broadband, creates the broadband parity adjustment fund, and lays the groundwork for establishing the Statewide Broadband Advisory Board.

The bill, introduced by Representative Bryce Edgmon, carries out recommendations made by Governor Dunleavy’s Task Force on Broadband, established under Administrative Order No. 322. The bill signing ceremony took place at the Alaska Broadband Summit + Workshop hosted by Alaska’s U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, the State of Alaska, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Alaska Municipal League (AML), and the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN).

In a press release, Governor Dunleavy stated:

“As someone who lived there for nearly 20 years, I well know the challenges of living in rural Alaska – high costs of living and everyday essentials, limited infrastructure, and oftentimes limited economic opportunities. I am a firm believer that digital equality creates economic and educational equality. Broadband deployment will be a game-changer in rural Alaska.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $116 million had been awarded to Alaska to improve high-speed internet access in rural communities. Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan, and late Congressman Don Young, all worked to secure funds from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Ensuring all Alaskans have access to equal economic and educational opportunities has been a priority for me as governor. With about one billion dollars headed for Alaska, and more dedicated to Tribal programs, we have a great opportunity to build an Alaska for the next 10, 20, and 50 years. The key factor will be all of us working together at the federal, state, local, and Tribal level. I am proud to sign House Bill 363 as another step in the process of equal broadband access for all Alaskans.”

Upon signature of the bill, Representative Bryce Edgmon said he was thankful to those who worked to get the legislation passed.

“I’d like to thank Alaska’s Congressional Delegation, Governor Dunleavy, and everyone who worked hard to get us to this point.”

The press release went on to say that the legislation will allow Alaska to use federal funds in the establishment of the State Office of Broadband within the Department of Commerce. One of the goals from there is to prioritize broadband service expansion in unserved areas, underserved areas, and anchor institutions.

The bill also creates the Broadband Parity Adjustment Fund to collect federal funds and may be utilized to offset costs of broadband for eligible Alaskans. HB 363 creates the Statewide Broadband Advisory Board to advise the Office of Broadband and facilitate stakeholder engagement.

All of this goes back to the pandemic and the shift to online education and for many, working from home, leading to Governor Dunleavy to establish the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband to address the growing need for reliable, high speed connectivity for all Alaskans in May, 2021.

The Task Force submitted a final report, including recommendations to the governor, later that year. Their findings lead to the key points of HB 363.

“The pandemic has changed the way we work. More people are working remotely, but they depend on reliable, fast broadband service that isn’t available in many parts of Alaska. By deploying high quality service to all, we are going to unlock a large cohort of Alaskans who can help fill jobs. Not only can we help create jobs, we’ll help sustain our rural communities by not forcing Alaskans to choose between a job opportunity and their home or traditional ways of life.”