The legislature recognizes the statewide broadband office's objective of scalability while appreciating that a digital economy will continue to drive higher and higher speeds. Therefore, the legislature intends to move towards adequate connectivity in terms of the needs of economic development, education, and telehealth services.
This section modifies existing section 43.330.530. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this section and RCW 43.330.532 through 43.330.538 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Board" means the public works board established in RCW 43.155.030.
"Broadband" or "broadband service" means any service providing advanced telecommunications capability and internet access with transmission speeds that, at a minimum, provide 100 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload.
"Broadband infrastructure" means networks of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed internet access and other advanced telecommunications services to end users.
"Department" means the department of commerce.
"Last mile infrastructure" means broadband infrastructure that serves as the final connection from a broadband service provider's network to the end-use customer's on-premises telecommunications equipment.
"Local government" includes cities, towns, counties, municipal corporations, public port districts, public utility districts, quasi-municipal corporations, special purpose districts, and multiparty entities comprised of public entity members.
"Middle mile infrastructure" means broadband infrastructure that links a broadband service provider's core network infrastructure to last mile infrastructure.
"Office" means the governor's statewide broadband office established in RCW 43.330.532.
"Tribe" means any federally recognized Indian tribe whose traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington.
"Unserved areas" means areas of Washington in which households and businesses lack access to broadband service, as defined by the office.