The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting in Winlock on Friday to celebrate the first connection of a project to expand high-speed internet access in the area.
In October, officials broke ground on a joint project with ToledoTel that will bring broadband service to more than 2,300 homes and businesses in the Winlock area.
“Today starts the reality of bringing the best broadband internet access in the world to the residents of Winlock,” said Dale Merten, ToledoTel vice president and CEO, at an Oct. 13 ground breaking. “If it hadn’t been for this partnership, this would not be a reality.”
The project includes 134 miles of line construction, funded through a $23.5 million grant from the Washington State Broadband Office and an additional $2.35 million matching funds from ToledoTel. Merten said ToledoTel did not have direct access to the grant funding needed for the project, which required Lewis County involvement.
During the ground breaking, Merten estimated that the project would be completed in October 2026.
The special meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, May 3, at 316 Meier Road in Winlock.
