Chehalis, WA – Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) is excited to announce that a USDA Community Connect Grant has been awarded to the PUD to construct a fiber-to-the-home network in western Lewis County. The PUD will be partnering with Northwest Open Access Network (NoaNet) on the project that will provide broadband services to unserved households, businesses, and essential community facilities, connecting 622 new locations currently lacking adequate internet speeds.
The grant funded project named “Connecting the Rural Lewis County Communities of Pe Ell, Doty, and Dryad” covers 47.3 miles of new fiber infrastructure.
The total project cost is $5,613,322.50, funded by a combination of $4,881,150 in USDA Community Connect Grant funds and $732,172.50 in match funding from the Washington State Broadband Office.
Once completed, the project is expected to improve the economy, healthcare, education, and public safety, supporting future growth in the area.
The PUD aims to provide affordable fiber-to-the-home broadband services by leveraging its open-access network, which allows private internet service providers (ISPs) to serve customers. The PUD's open-access network's 4 active service providers currently offer 1 Gbps symmetrical broadband at an average monthly cost of $69. NoaNet, the engineering firm for the project, will additionally support technical needs of the network.
The PUD has a history of building infrastructure for underserved communities, beginning with electricity and now extending to broadband. It developed a county-wide broadband plan and collaborated with community stakeholders through surveys and its Broadband Action Team (BAT) to understand the broadband needs of residents.
The PUD has been successful in securing over $56 million in grant funding for expanding broadband services to unserved areas. The PUD connected their first broadband customers in September and is continuing to pursue grant funding.
About Lewis County Public Utility District
Lewis County PUD is a community-owned, locally governed utility providing power services and telecommunications infrastructure to approximately 35,000 customers throughout most of Lewis County and adjacent communities.
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