Broadband Benefits

As the result of broadband investments being made in Washington state:

• Public safety agencies will have the ability to provide enhanced 911 services, improved response times, a more robust and responsive Amber Alert system and enhanced police response.
• School districts -- one quarter of which are currently hindered by slow Internet connections -- will now be able to provide online instruction and learning, research and information exchange between institutions, and remote access to college courses.
• Essential state services will be more reliable and continuity will be preserved in emergency situations due to cloud computing which is made possible through broadband technology.
• Citizens will benefit from faster, more efficient government services such as online permitting, improved information access, healthcare, access to justice and other important programs.
• State and local government will have access to online training, conferences and collaboration; reduced travel and per diem expenses; and reliable connectivity between government entities and state and local data centers.
• Library patrons using technologies and applications that require high-quality Internet bandwidth, such as high definition videoconferencing, desktop video chat (e.g. Skype), online learning and assessment, streaming video, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), will benefit from fast speeds and higher quality services. Broadband access for libraries means the community will have access to these technologies.
• Healthcare providers will have the speed they need to deliver lifesaving services in real time, enabling remote diagnosis, immediate assessment and guidance to emergency workers via videoconferencing, improved access to the most current lifesaving drugs to rural areas, and telehealth to exchange large digital files and provide remote specialty consultation.
• Rural communities will be able to provide the high-speed telecommunications services that are required for robust economic development, enabling credit card and Internet-based e-commerce, automated inventory and fulfillment systems, web sales and online advertising for small businesses, commodities trading – a key competitive advantage to the family farmer, advanced 4G cellular capability/access and local broadband providers' access.