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Gilliam County awarded $7.35 million broadband grant to extend service in Arlington area
Summary
Gilliam County announced a $7,354,057 state broadband grant that will fund 334 hookups in the Arlington School District; the county expects a 25% local match and will coordinate with Rally Networks to map existing private fiber coverage.
Gilliam County Court announced on Sept. 17 that the county has been awarded an Oregon broadband grant intended to extend fiber service countywide, specifically designated for the Arlington School District. The Chair told the court the grant covers 334 hookups and totals $7,354,057; the project requires a 25% local match.
The Chair said Rally Networks already received funding to install fiber to parts of the county’s south end, and the county will request a mapping from Rally to determine which homes will receive private fiber “to the door” and which remain unserved and therefore eligible for the public grant-funded build. The Chair said consultants and additional professional support will be needed to plan the build and that earlier county efforts positioned the application for success.
A county commissioner asked who determined which houses qualified for the grant. The Chair said the grant application dictated qualification rules and that some locations were excluded because they were too expensive to reach under the grant’s requirements; staff will seek clarification from the project consultant.
The next procedural steps are mapping and planning with the consultant and coordinating the required local match. County staff did not set a construction schedule at the meeting; the Chair said those details will be developed as consultants and the school district coordinate with the selected provider.
The announcement follows a county effort to inventory countywide connectivity and prepare for state broadband opportunities; county leaders framed the award as a significant step toward countywide broadband access.
