As far as electric utilities go, Jefferson PUD is relatively young. That hasn't stopped them from taking some unique steps to bring broadband to rural and geographically challenging areas of Northwest Washington.

Rural broadband build-outs by electric cooperatives have been remarkably successful, according to a recent report from NRTC and NRECA. Despite rising labor and material costs, most co-ops report higher than expected take rates and a 9% internal rate of return. Notably, among the 88 co-ops surveyed, serving their community was the biggest motivational factor listed, with revenue lagging significantly behind. Two of the report’s architects share more insights in this episode. The full report is available online from NRTC.

Even with the huge amount of funding coming in to expand broadband, Jordana Barton-Garcia says impoverished regions like tribal lands, the Mississippi Delta, the border region of Texas and central Appalachia could still be left on the wrong side of the digital divide if policymakers and ISPs don't focus on digital equity.