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Broadband Access Gets a Boost from New Business Oregon Grants
Today Business Oregon released the latest of the state's COVID-19 relief efforts, investing in broadband access across Oregon, in mostly rural communities. The Oregon Legislature and Governor Kate Brown allocated $10,000,000 from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund to Business Oregon's Rural Broadband Capacity Program for broadband projects targeting unserved and underserved areas of the state.
“Expanding and enhancing broadband access speeds in rural areas has become even more important as business and workforce models shift in the face of the COVID pandemic,” said Chris Cummings, Business Oregon Director. “This federal funding can leverage our ongoing work building out rural broadband in a big way.”
Grants will provide funding for 28 projects across 24 counties that deliver increased broadband-speed internet access for telework, telehealth, and K-12 distance learning applications in unserved and underserved areas in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Awardees include Oregon cities, counties, tribes, cooperatives, school districts, and private sector internet service providers.
The following entities are receiving grant offers:
| Organization |
Grant Offered |
| Alyrica |
$167,650 |
| Arlington TV Co-op |
$65,347 |
| Blue Mountain Networks |
$249,486 |
| Canby Telephone Association |
$175,000 |
| Casco PEAK Internet |
$1,222,757 |
| Central Cascades Fire & EMS |
$123,500 |
| City of Boardman |
$687,965 |
| City of Independence |
$239,810 |
| City of Sherwood |
$346,857 |
| Clatskaine School District |
$22,000 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation |
$750,000 |
| Douglas FastNet |
$1,049,467 |
| Eastern Oregon Net, Inc. (EONI) |
$83,330 |
| Emerald Broadband LLC |
$1,529,600 |
| Frontier Communications NW |
$627,300 |
| Hawk Networks Inc. |
$13,856 |
| Illinois Valley Data Center LLC |
$113,670 |
| Lane Fi |
$145,354 |
| Lincoln County |
$28,900 |
| Long Creek School District |
$20,000 |
| MiWave |
$434,397 |
| Monroe Telephone Company |
$199,610 |
| Pioneer Connect |
$361,082 |
| Sherman County |
$160,000 |
| Sureline Broadband LLC |
$122,041 |
| The GEO |
$217,400 |
| Tillamook County |
$349,800 |
| Warm Springs Telecom |
$492,290 |
Funding will be contingent upon successful contract negotiation between Business Oregon and funding recipients. All projects must be completed and grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2020. Unexpended funds will be returned to the U.S. Treasury in accordance with the CARES Act of 2020.
Media Contact: Nathan Buehler, 503-689-3559.
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