Cowlitz County approves 10-year franchise for Lightspeed (LS) Networks to operate fiber and telecom infrastructure

Anna Lunde, Cowlitz County Public Works right-of-way agent, presented a 10-year nonexclusive franchise agreement for LS Networks (doing business as Lightspeed Networks / InstaStar) to operate telecommunications infrastructure in county rights-of-way. Lunde described the agreement as covering fiber, poles, vaults, conduit and splice cases, with some aerial attachments to public-utility poles and a small number of company-owned poles.

“This 10 year nonexclusive easement is for telecommunications services provided, our Internet, Ethernet, voice carrier networks, and managed services,” Lunde said, describing the equipment and the company’s prior 2013 franchise that expired in 2023. County staff explained the franchise is standard practice when private carriers use county rights-of-way or county easements.

The public hearing produced no public comment. After the hearing, a commissioner moved to approve the resolution granting the franchise. The motion passed by voice vote; the clerk recorded the vote as “Aye” and the chair declared the resolution passed.

Why it matters: the franchise extends LS Networks’ legal authorization to occupy county rights-of-way and continue providing fiber, internet and related telecommunications services in Cowlitz County for a 10-year term. The agreement regulates equipment placement and requires franchise compliance even where carriers have separate pole agreements with utilities.

No public comments were recorded at the hearing and no amendments were proposed when the board moved to adopt the resolution.