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Union Telephone presents broadband build plans, BEAD funding pursuit for Dutch John
Summary
Union Telephone briefed commissioners on county coverage, a plan to pursue BEAD funding to bring fiber to Dutch John, middle‑mile route options, a recent network replacement that went live Feb. 24, and remaining permitting and backhaul challenges.
Representatives from Union Telephone presented a broadband update to the Daggett County Commission on April 1, describing coverage maps, plans to pursue federal broadband funding, and network upgrades intended to improve capacity and service reliability.
The presenter described efforts to pursue BEAD and other funding to extend middle‑mile fiber to Dutch John, noting two route options: running fiber along U.S. 191 from Rock Springs or seeking a permit to cross at the narrows (the shorter route but with more permitting complications). The company said it had asked the pipeline owner about attaching fiber to the pipeline structure but was refused; the pipeline owner did not see commercial value for their operations.
Union Telephone staff also said the company completed a federally supported 'rip and replace' upgrade to remove disallowed Chinese equipment, and that the new county‑wide network was turned up on Feb. 24. The company said it will decommission the old network in the coming weeks and expects the newer infrastructure to reduce congestion and switching problems and to be 5G‑ready for future service compatibility. Company staff offered to provide maps and contact lists and asked for local cooperation on permitting and site access.
Commissioners discussed potential coordination with Strata and vendor leasing options; Union Telephone said leasing on Strata's fiber had been cost prohibitive so far. The presenter noted that some state mapping choices limited options for covering Greenville and Browns Park within available BEAD funding allocations.
Next steps: Union Telephone to supply maps and permitting details to county staff and continue discussions about route, permits and funding opportunities.
