County agrees on broadband contract to improve access for rural residents

The Yamhill County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to use $3 million in state and federal funding to improve internet access for residents in Unionvale, Hopewell and Wheatland, communities in the southeast corner of the county.

The Yamhill County Broadband Fund is designed to provide broadband access for underserved or unserved clients, representing approximately 16% of residents, according to County Administrator Ken Huffer.

“(The project is) to extend broadband in Yamhill County to households or businesses that fall within the definitions of unserved,” he said. “Those without internet or internet under a download speed of 25 megabits per second or upload speed under three megabits per second.”

The fund received $2.3 million through Oregon Local Community Investment and $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Consultants HR Green received three applications from internet providers for the project, with each specifying different service areas to improve.

The commissioners chose Oregon-based Alyrica Networks, which submitted a $3.6 million budget, including $916,000 in matching funds to provide service to 297 locations in Unionvale, Hopewell and Wheatland.

Nationwide provider Astound Broadband submitted a $3.3 million budget, with $824,000 in matching funds to provide service to 301 users in the West Valley communities of Grand Ronde, Sheridan and Willamina.

Ziply Fiber submitted a much smaller project that would provide service to 134 customers in Hopewell as well as in Rock of Ages Valley View Retirement Center, west of McMinnville, at a total cost of $1.6 million.

Although 84% of county homes and businesses are considered “served,” 3.5% have internet access that doesn’t meet data standards and 12.5% either don’t have internet or have very low download and upload speeds, according to consultant Sandeep Taxali.

“Many of those customers may have low quality (digital subscriber line) or unlicensed fixed wireless that is not offering next generation speeds,” he said.

The project will install fiber internet capable of much faster speeds and the installation will set up customers for the next half century, Taxali said.

“Once the network is installed it will be around for at least 30 to 50 years; that’s the useful life of a fiber solution,” he said.

Consultants recommended Alyrica based on the strength of their application and response to needs.

“You have three solid applications,” Taxali said. “Alyrica was by far the strongest application.”

Commissioners were split between Astound and Alyrica, eliminating Ziply because the proposal wasn’t large enough in scope and price.

“I think one of our initial discussions was biggest bang for our buck, so that for me eliminates Ziply just because I would rather spend as much as we can on this out of the pot of money,” Board Chair Lindsay Berschauer said.

Mary Starrett favored Alyrica based on customer satisfaction from a recent nearby project and the company’s application.

“They crossed every t, dotted every i, and came with receipts,” she said.

Commissioner Kit Johnston said the board originally highlighted the West Valley as an area of need and complimented pricing options offered by Astound, which ran as low as $10 per month.

Astound offered affordability packages of $10 monthly for 50 mbps and $20 for 150 mbps, while Alyrica offered plans ranging from $50 monthly for 100 mbps to $150 monthly for 2,500 mbps.

Berschauer said Alyrica’s proposed area is also underserved and recommended partnering with Tillamook County in the future to secure federal funding for internet access for the West Valley area.

Starrett agreed the West Valley residents will have other opportunities and said many residents in the hilly region already have secured other internet options such as satellite providers.

“Living in an area that will basically never ever see fiber, I know that everybody in those mountainous areas has figured out something else,” she said.