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Yamhill County broadband project finishes build; first customer hookups start this summer
Summary
A contracted provider reported completion of a county-funded broadband build that passed nearly 300 rural addresses. The project finished under the roughly $3.62 million budget, with about 221 drops planned and initial customers expected online in the next days to weeks.
Alerica, the presenter for the county—contractor, told the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners on June 18 that the federally funded broadband project targeting roughly 297 addresses has finished construction and the first customer activations are imminent. "We got it done in 18 months, which we're really excited about," the presenter said during a brief slideshow to the board.
The project placed about 131,000 feet of underground fiber, 20,000 feet of aerial strand and 271 utility vaults to reach the targeted homes, the presenter said. Construction and permitting are complete and staff are performing customer drops and activations; 13 drops were finished in the days before the meeting and 85 more were in the immediate pipeline. The contractor said 221 drops are currently scheduled; the vendor expects to complete many hookups by the end of summer, though several customers have very long driveway runs (one cited as more than 4,000 feet) that could push some installs into the fall.
The build stayed close to its original budget: the presenter said the project estimate was $3.6 million and actual costs were about $3.62 million. The county-level retail package will be offered at $59 per month for the basic service, she said. The presenter also described material and supply-chain challenges, saying procurement staff traveled out of state to obtain fiber spools so the schedule would not slip.
Commissioner King noted a broader policy debate about technology choice during the meeting, saying some residents compare fixed broadband to satellite options such as Starlink. "When you compare the cost of Starlink for rural customers... it comes down to $12,000 per hookup," Commissioner King said, arguing that some federal or state program rules can limit cheaper alternatives. He added that his comment was not an indictment of the contractor, but reflected concern about program design and cost-effectiveness.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation. County staff and the contractor said they will continue drop installations and customer outreach; initial live activations were expected in the week or two following the meeting.
