Kitsap County, Washington is accelerating a push to bring fiber-optic internet directly to homes across the county and Bainbridge Island, backed by federal pandemic relief dollars that were designed precisely for moments like this.
The project, run by Public Utility District No. 1 of Kitsap County, uses a fast aerial construction method: technicians strand and lash fiber cable along existing Puget Sound Energy utility poles rather than digging up streets. That approach keeps costs down and timelines short, and Kitsap PUD has already secured the pole attachment permit from PSE to move quickly once a contractor is in place. The bid opportunity is listed on the state's vendor portal.
Funding comes through federal award CPFFN0145, a slice of the $10 billion Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund created under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and administered locally through the Washington State Public Works Board. Congress created the fund amid a pandemic that made the digital divide impossible to ignore: when schools closed and offices went remote in 2020, families without reliable home internet suddenly had nowhere to turn.
Kitsap County, population roughly 275,000, sits in an awkward gap in the broadband map. Separated from Seattle by Puget Sound and accessible mainly by ferry, it has long been too urban for federal rural programs like USDA ReConnect and too spread out to attract aggressive private investment from carriers. The remote-work boom hit the county hard, particularly on Bainbridge Island, where tech workers commuting to Seattle discovered dead zones in what is otherwise an affluent community.
Kitsap PUD has been building fiber backbone quietly for years, but a key barrier fell only in 2021 when the state legislature passed HB 1336, finally allowing public utility districts to sell broadband directly to homes and businesses. Before that, PUDs could build wholesale fiber networks but couldn't offer retail service, which limited how far the infrastructure could actually reach. Washington State received $155.9 million from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund and has been channeling it through public utilities, tribes and local governments to close exactly those last-mile gaps.
The current project covers both unincorporated Kitsap County and the City of Bainbridge Island, with crews coordinating directly with homeowners on connection points. Washington's prevailing wage rules apply, and the PUD is explicitly encouraging local hires and bids from minority- and women-owned firms.
With contractor selection underway, the timeline for when residents will actually see fiber crews on their streets depends on how quickly the awarded contractor can mobilize.
