Fiber-optic cable will bring broadband internet to I-84 corridor between Baker City and Huntington
Published 7:30 am Tuesday, September 23, 2025
A $12.8 million federal grant will pay to install fiber optic cable that makes broadband internet access available to nearly 600 homes and businesses along the Interstate 84 corridor between Baker City and the Idaho border, including Durkee and Huntington.
The Business Oregon Broadband Office awarded the money to Oregon Telephone Company, which is operating under the name Rally Networks.
The project must be finished by Sept. 30, 2026, said Kristin Bigler, broadband communications coordinator for the Oregon Broadband Office.
Most of the 559 customers that could sign up for broadband service through Rally Networks live in Baker County. The project also includes a section of Malheur County, including Farewell Bend and the Annex area along Highway 201 east of Farewell Bend.
The vast majority of those customers currently have access to either DSL or satellite internet, Bigler said. None has a wired connection that meets the federal definition of broadband, which is 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads.
The Baker County portion of the project includes installing 127 miles of fiber-optic cable to 444 potential customers, Bigler said.
“This is a major win for Huntington, one of Baker County’s smaller cities, and a significant step toward closing the digital divide in rural Oregon,” she said.
Huntington has a population of about 500.
Bigler said customers who sign up for the broadband service can lock in a monthly rate of $49.99 for five years with connection speeds of 100 Mbps download and upload.