Lincoln County Courthouse 450 Logan St (PO Box 28,) Davenport WA 99122-0028 – 3rd Floor
(509) 215-7837
Margie Hall, Director / mhall@co.lincoln.wa.us
The Lincoln County Broadband Office was established to facilitate the construction and operation of fiber-to-the-premise (FTTx) broadband networks within the county. These networks have been made possible through four grants acquired on behalf of the county by the Economic Development Council between 2021 and 2023. The four grants are being executed in phases:
Phase 1 built FTTx networks to Almira, Creston, and Harrington. Phase 1 was funded by $1,963,920 grant from the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) and a $818,300 grant from the Washington State Broadband Office. Almira, Creston, and Harrington have networks that are live and providing FTTx to residents and businesses as of March.
Phase 2 will build networks in Davenport and Wilbur. Phase 2 is being funding by a $5,218,072 grant from the Washington State Broadband Office. In addition to building networks in Wilbur and Davenport, this grant will also build a fiber backbone between Harrington and Sprague. Construction on the backbone is taking place now (4/15.) Wilbur will be next, followed by Davenport.
Phase 3 will build networks in Odessa, Reardan and Sprague. Phase 3 is being funded by a $4,162,072 grant from the Public Works Board. In addition to networks in three cities, this grant will also build a fiber backbone between Creston and Hawk Creek. As of 4/15 it is the permitting stage.
Phase 4 has just been confirmed through a contract with the Washington State Broadband Office for a $8,921,342 grant. This grant will bring FTTx to the unincorporated communities of Deer Meadows and Seven Bays.
All of the funders listed above are housed within the Washington Department of Commerce in Olympia.
ISPs ON NETWORK In alphabetical order:
FAQs about Lincoln County Broadband
WHO IS PROVIDING INTERNET SERVICE ON THE NETWORK?
We are often asked “Will the county be the internet provider?” Lincoln County will not be a provider. Lincoln County’s objective is to build the network and make it available to providers who are unlikely to invest in direct fiber if they had to do it on their own. It is simply too expensive. This grant-funded construction project removes that financial barrier. Residents will continue to select their own service provider, just like they always have, and internet providers will continue to do their own marketing and set their own prices, just like they always have.
TERMS TO KNOW
Broadband: Technologies that provide high-speed internet access.
Fiber-Optic: A system that uses glass or plastic to carry light to transmit information.
Middle Mile: In our case, the infrastructure that extends access from a community with fiber to one without.
Last Mile: The connection between the local network & your home or business.
Open Access: A network that is open to independent ISPs.
WHAT IS FIBER TO THE HOME OR PREMISE?
Fiber to the home (FTTH) or premise (FTTP) is the installation of fiber optic cable from a provider’s network directly to a subscriber’s individual building. It provides a direct connection to the internet and delivers fast download and upload speeds. It is also less likely to experience interruptions or slowdowns.
WHY IS SOME FIBER AERIAL AND SOME FIBER UNDERGROUND?
Whenever possible, fiber is being attached to existing utility poles. Where there are no poles, fiber must be buried underground and this work is being completed first. All underground fiber is complete in Almira and crews are now working on poles. Underground has started in Creston and is anticipated to start in Harrington the week of July 24.
WHY ARE WE BUILDING THESE NETWORKS?
Every year the need for robust internet grows and those without it fall farther behind. This new county owned network is bringing vital future-proof broadband infrastructure into our communities. The county is committed to the success of the network and its ability to bring new opportunities to Lincoln County’s citizens. Construction going on now in Almira and Harrington…
WHAT IS A COLOCATION FACILITY?
A colocation facility is a hosting facility that will allow ISPs to deploy their services using their electronics in combination with Lincoln County’s open access fiber optic network. When you choose an ISP to provide fiber to your home, they will light up (turn on) your fiber through a colocation facility. ISP’s will have 24/7 access to these locked and monitored facilities.
WHY IS LINCOLN COUNTY’S FIBER NETWORK GOING TO BE “OPEN ACCESS?”
A broadband network is considered open access when the owner is not an internet service provider (ISP). These networks are viewed as a practical way of deploying broadband in rural, low population areas where it is difficult for ISPs to get sufficient return on investment. When they don’t have to build their own infrastructure, more ISPs are able to serve more customers they might not otherwise reach.
WHAT IS B.E.A.D. FUNDING?
The Broadband Equity, Access, & Deployment Program (BEAD) is part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. Over $1.2 billion in BEAD funding is available to our state to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure and Internet adoption. Lincoln County will work hard to secure some of this funding so that we can reach beyond our current projects to more of our unincorporated areas.