Oregon Broadband Partnership

Western Independent Networks, Inc (WIN), with its strategic partners in Oregon Broadband Partnership (OBP), proposes to increase the bandwidth capacity of its existing 12 network interconnection points and establish 12 new interconnection points across the entire Willamette Valley by constructing 125 miles of fiber optic cable, thereby creating a 371-mile fiber network with upgraded electronics providing a diverse, redundant, and secure 80 Gbps network. This project is substantially more robust and far-reaching than WIN’s previous application in Round 1, with almost four times the initial bandwidth capacity and twice as many points of presence.

OBP has 24 distinct points of connection secured and ready for deployment. The points of connection include 11 independent telephone company central offices including: St. Paul Cooperative Telephone Company, Canby Telephone Association, Gervais Telephone Company, Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company, Roome Telecommunications, Inc., Clear Creek Mutual Telephone Company, Cascade Utilities, Colton Telephone Company, Molalla Communications Company, Monitor Cooperative Telephone Company, and Pioneer Telephone Cooperative. These points of connection provide access to 28 different communities and surrounding unincorporated areas within the proposed funded service area throughout the Willamette Valley and west to the coast. Those communities include Redland, Canby, Estacada, Colton, Molalla, Monitor, Gervais, St. Paul, Newberg, Sherwood, Salem, Stayton, Silverton, Scio, Lebanon, Corvallis, Philomath, Alsea, Waldport, South Beach, Yachats, Triangle Lake, Monroe, Veneta, Eugene, Junction City, Halsey, and Harrisburg. Within all the proposed funded service areas there are almost 100,000 households, over 6,200 businesses and an estimated 339 anchor institutions, including public safety entities and critical community organizations. The overall infrastructure cost to upgrade this network is $13,584,203.

To achieve a “coordinated approach” as recommended in the ARRA BTOP criteria and as stated in Oregon Governor Kulongoski’s letter to Anna Gomez, we have spent a great deal of time and effort seeking the input of the community stakeholders in the areas we propose to serve. OBP has sought input from the widest possible set of institutions within the communities the project will touch. Letters of support from our partnering governmental agencies, community colleges, K-12 school districts and health care organizations including: the City of Lebanon, the City of Silverton, the City of Junction City, the City of Sherwood/Newberg, the City of Corvallis, the Lane Council of Governments, Silverton Hospital, Chemeketa Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, North Marion School District, the Lebanon School District, Lane Education District, and various other school districts are included in the grant application. We believe that these corroborate WIN’s focus on addressing the Governor’s priorities and illustrate that WIN and its project partners are fully committed to advancing these priorities in substantive and meaningful ways.

WIN is very optimistic about our chances to receive this grant and we are looking forward to working with our existing partners and some new found partners regardless of the outcome. WIN wants to thank everyone and every agency that help put this application together.