Instead of a ribbon cutting for the Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) fiber project, officials connected a fiber cable, signifying the beginning of the work to get broadband internet access into rural communities.
Thanks to a $3 million grant secured late last year through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) called “Connecting Communities,” the PUD on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Chehalis celebrated the beginning of what, over time, is set to become a countywide broadband internet project.
In the Winlock and Toledo area, the PUD is partnering with ToledoTel for the work. County and PUD officials, as well as federal representatives, have been exploring how to launch this work in Lewis County for several years.
When the kick-off piece is completed in 2023, according to Jeff Baine, information systems and telecommunications manager, the new fiber segment will bring broadband internet from Chehalis out to the Boitsfort area and beyond, extending to Rainbow Falls State Park.
“It’s our first real win,” he said.
Helen Price Johnson, Washington’s director of USDA rural development who was appointed by the Joe Biden administration, spoke at Wednesday’s event, along with PUD commissioners and a representative from Lewis County’s Broadband Action Team.
“It takes these partnerships for rural America to thrive. Really, together is how we can all prosper. And you know, it’s not just a tagline. I’ve been a local official and we needed the support of the state and federal government to come and help us through and partners all across the rural communities,” Price Johnson said.
According to previous reporting in The Chronicle, the PUD intends to eventually provide high speed internet for over 29,000 homes and businesses after a survey found that about 77% of the utility’s customers don’t have access to reliable high-speed internet services.
“The connectivity that comes from having this kind of access is such a vital infrastructure,” Price Johnson told The Chronicle. “Particularly in rural areas where you don’t have good cellphone coverage, you need to have that fiber to be able to really have the economic development, education and frankly, health care that is only available through (internet).”
