The Great Broadband Build: Google Fiber Targets Logan, Utah; Washington State Awards $121M in Broadband Grants

Google Fiber Targets Logan, Utah
Google Fiber has named Logan, Utah as its next Google Fiber city. The service provider has signed a license agreement with the City of Logan, its northernmost Utah city to date (also about halfway between Pocatello and Salt Lake City) which will allow it to begin the planning process for bringing a high-speed fiber-to-the-home network to residents. It expects to start construction later this year and offer service in Logan in 2024. According to a blog post, Google Fiber’s Utah team is continuing to build out its network along the Wasatch Front. With Logan, Google Fiber is working to extend our network further north in Utah and bridge new cities in Idaho.

Washington State Broadband Office Awards $121M in Broadband Grants

Washington State Broadband Office has awarded $121 million in grants for 19 broadband construction projects that will deliver high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities across the state. Grant demand exceeded available funds by 261 percent – 50 projects requested more than $316 million. The projects conditionally awarded funding are:

• Franklin County PUD No. 1 – $4,854,610 for the Connell and Basin FTTH project.
• Grays Harbor PUD No. 1 – $6,916,366 for the Grays Harbor South Elma, Porter and Cedarville Broadband project.
• Jefferson County PUD No. 1 – $6,087,687 for the Inbetweens Fiber project.
• King County – $1,767,681 for the King County, Ziply to Duvall project.
• Kittitas County – $11,366,102 for the Kittitas County WSBO 2022 project.
• Lewis County PUD No. 1 – $11,958,421 for the Bunker Creek project.
• Lincoln County – $8,921,342 for the Deer Meadows and Seven Bays FTTx project.
• Mason County PUD No. 3 – $3,645,768 for the Cloquallum Communities Rural Broadband Fiber Expansion project.
• Okanogan County Electric Co-Op – $11,985,014 for the Okanogan County Connect project.
• Orcas Power and Light Co-Op:
• $6,446,206 for the Outer Islands project.
• $3,911,649 for the Orcas Island East project.
• $3,352,904 for the San Juan Island project.
• $1,242,168 for Orcas Island West.
• Port of Skagit County – $8,054,251 for the Bow Outlying Areas FTTx project.
• Port of Whitman County – $1,135,475 for the Port of Whitman FTTx project.
• Spokane Tribe – $3,418,063 for the Spokane Tribe HWY 231 FTTH project.
• Tri County Economic Development District – $12,000,000 for the Central Stevens County Hybrid Broadband project.
• Whatcom PUD No. 1 – $3,150,000 for the Point Roberts FTTx project.
• Yakima County – $11,310,004 for the Yakima County WSBO 2022 project.

The funding is part of the state’s investment in the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund. It continues the Washington Legislature’s commitment to connecting communities with little or no reliable, affordable broadband service. Awards are conditional on the receipt of federal funds.

Ziply Fiber Launches Fiber Internet in Priest River, Idaho
Ziply Fiber’s FTTH network is now ready for service in Priest River, Idaho. The launch will enable Ziply’s gig-speed service and its 10 Gig, 5 Gig and 2 Gig residential services to nearly 800 addresses throughout the city. The work in Priest River is part of Ziply Fiber’s commitment to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to build an advanced, 100-percent fiber network to suburban and rural communities across the Northwest that have been underserved regarding internet access. The company has been actively building fiber across the Northwest since June 2020. It has plans to develop and deploy new fiber-optic cables, local hubs, new offices, and new hardware to run the network as part of hundreds of additional projects across its 250,000-square-mile footprint.

STELLAR Broadband Lights Michigan’s Elmwood Lake Apartments with Gigabit Broadband
STELLAR Broadband will provide Internet connectivity up to 10Gbps to Elmwood Lake Apartments in Hudsonville, Michigan. Elmwood Lake Apartments is a suburban haven of elevated comfort where sweet serenity meets desirable convenience. From cozy interiors and relaxing leisure spaces to an idyllic setting next to private Elmwood Lake, the welcoming apartments in Hudsonville, MI, are ready to deliver a heightened living experience. STELLAR today serves over 149 communities totaling over 10,000 residents, with a wide range of technology solutions, from managed Wi-Fi, TV, and access control to security.

Empire Access Expands to Endicott and Endwell, New York
Empire Access continues its strategic expansion with service to Endicott and Endwell, New York. Broadband-backed Internet from Empire Access will provide residents and businesses with Internet, TV, phone, and security solutions. Empire Access provides fiber optic-backed Internet services to smaller-in-size communities in upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Prattsburgh, New York, Empire Access primarily operates in underserved communities which often lack reliable Internet access.

Spot On Networks Completes Johnstown, NY Affordable Housing Wi-Fi Bulk Project
Spot On Networks, a leading provider of managed Wi-Fi networks for multifamily communities, has announced the completion of the Wi-Fi Bulk project at an affordable housing project in Johnstown, New York. The project involved installing Wi-Fi access points in 36 units on the second and third floors and in 16 offices and amenity areas on all three floors. The Wi-Fi Bulk project was designed to provide residents with a reliable and fast internet connection and boost productivity for businesses operating within the community.

TDS Awarded $1.55M Wisconsin Broadband Expansion Grant
TDS Telecommunications was awarded over $1.55 million in funding for a broadband expansion project in southwest Wisconsin. The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin selected TDS’ Farmers Telephone Company project to provide fiber-to-the-home internet to more than 800 customers in Grant County in the following townships: South Lancaster, Lancaster, Beetown, Ellenboro, Harrison, Little Grant, North Lancaster, Potosi, Waterloo, and Liberty. This is in addition to the two previous grants currently being executed in Potosi and Necedah.

Related: The Great Broadband Build

Service providers are rapidly building broadband in communities nationwide via fiber, existing coax, and wireless. The Great Broadband Build is a weekly roundup of the latest broadband network deployments.

You can send news directly to Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities, at sean@bbcmag.com. Stay abreast of each installment of The Great Broadband Build here.

Related: The Great Broadband Build

Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief of Broadband Communities and the host of the Broadband Ripple Podcast.  

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