ALBANY, Ore. — Linn County Commissioners Will Tucker, Sherrie Sprenger and Roger Nyquist unanimously agreed Tuesday morning to support a Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant that will deliver fiber-optic broadband Internet services to Lebanon area residents by Consumers Power Inc./Peak Internet, the county reports.
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program is a federal program that has earmarked $42.5 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
In a letter of support, the commissioners noted, “We are confident this initiative aligns with Oregon’s mission to expand broadband access and bolster rural infrastructure.”
The commissioners added that the proposal will leverage “existing infrastructure to deliver high-speed fiber broadband that will address a critical need in our rural communities. This connectivity will enable remote work, online education, telehealth and economic opportunities — resources that are essential for our residents and businesses to thrive in today’s digital world.”
The commissioners said the project will also “strengthen the CPI electric grid by integrating fiber-optic technology to improve monitoring and outage response. By enhancing grid resilience, the project will also support wildfire mitigation efforts by enabling faster detection and response to potential electrical faults that could spark fires in our wildfire-prone region. In an area where weather challenges are growing energy demands test our infrastructure, this enhancement will ensure a more dependable power supply, benefitting our entire community.”