The WSBO grant was announced this week, supporting the ongoing rural broadband infrastructure deployment work led by SkagitNet, an entity jointly operated by the Port of Skagit and Skagit PUD.

“The Port has heard from many citizens who need affordable, reliable internet service, so we are working diligently to identify and secure the funding to get fiber optic infrastructure built in those communities,” stated Port Commission President Steve Omdal.  “ The trick is finding the right grant opportunity to match with an eligible project area, and we were able to do that in the outlying area around Bow.”

Approximately 630 homes and businesses near Bow and the surrounding area will be served by this project.  The total cost of the project is $8.95-million.

The required 10% match is being funded by Skagit County with approximately $895,000 in ARPA funds.  Skagit County committed to providing the match funds required for the project in order to connect another rural area of our community with affordable access to high-speed internet.

“Skagit County’s Board of County Commissioners recognize the importance of connecting our rural communities to fiber optics and appreciate the partnership with the Port of Skagit,” said Board of County Commissioners Chairperson, Ron Wesen. “Broadband is an essential service required for business, education, and public safety. The County is excited to provide the matching funds needed for the Bow project.”

This grant is part of $121-million in grants awarded to communities statewide by the Washington State Broadband Office through the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund.  Construction for this Bow-area project is anticipated to begin by the end of 2024.

This funding is in addition to funding already secured for projects that will serve Sauk-Suiattle and Fir Island areas.  There is still great need for digital access in rural communities throughout Skagit County and the Port continues to identify solutions to meet those needs.

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The Port of Skagit was awarded a $1,000,000 loan and a $1,000,000 grant through the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) to continue its work to bring fiber optic infrastructure to eastern Skagit County.

This low-interest Rural Broadband Program loan along with the grant from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, will support the East County Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) Construction Project.  This project consists of FTTP construction of aerial fiber in Concrete, Lyman, Hamilton, and Marblemount.

“CERB has been a supportive partner for the Port in bringing economic development opportunities to the Skagit Valley,”  said Port Commissioner Bill Shuler.  “ This funding is an important piece of the puzzle as we help bridge the digital divide in the eastern part of our county.”

The Port is working in partnership with Ziply Fiber to construct 22 miles of fiber infrastructure between Concrete and Rockport, with the goal of producing more than 1,200 connections for residents in these areas.  These connections will bring high-speed internet service to these areas of our community, which have previously been unserved or under-served, providing enhanced access and opportunities for economic development, education, and health and safety.

In addition to CERB funding, this construction project has been supported at the state and local levels, including funding from Skagit County, the state Public Works Board and the Port of Skagit.  FTTP construction within the four eastern Skagit County communities is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

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The Port of Skagit and Ziply Fiber entered into an agreement last week to connect homes and businesses in eastern Skagit County to fiber optic infrastructure, putting the speed, capacity, and reliability of Internet service for Skagit communities on par with larger cities around the country. This agreement will provide fiber-to-the-premise construction to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in Lyman, Hamilton, Concrete and Marblemount by the end of 2022.

Ziply Fiber, which acquired the Northwest operations of Frontier Communications last year, is in the midst of a significant expansion of its fiber network and has committed to invest more than $500 million in its network and services throughout the Pacific Northwest. In communities such as Skagit County, the company is investing resources in rural markets that have never seen fiber optic infrastructure.

“At Ziply Fiber, we believe you shouldn’t have to live in a big city to get great Internet. This partnership with the Port of Skagit allows us to build out fiber more quicky and to a larger geography than we’d be able to do on our own,” said Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber. “As a local company, we are proud to work with the Port of Skagit County and other public entities that see the value that public/private partnerships can bring to enabling their residents and businesses to access state-of-the-art fiber-optic networks and services both today and into the future.”

For the Port, this agreement presents the opportunity to accelerate deployment of high-speed Internet in these communities at levels of affordability typically only seen in urban markets. “This is one of the most significant economic development projects the Port of Skagit has ever been involved with,” said Patsy Martin, Port Executive Director.

Port Commissioner Bill Shuler noted this project will advance the construction of fiber optic infrastructure in eastern Skagit County by 10 years or more and will save money by utilizing existing infrastructure in a collaborative business model. “This is something I’ve been focused on for many years,” stated Commissioner Shuler. “This will bring dependable, high-speed Internet service to residents and business owners who haven’t had access to it before.”

Earlier efforts to improve access to fiber optic infrastructure led to the creation of SkagitNet in 2018, which is jointly operated by the Port of Skagit and Skagit PUD. SkagitNet is an open access, wholesale, fiber optic network that promotes competitive services and consumer choice—essential elements that are retained in this agreement with Ziply Fiber.

The Community Economic Revitalization (CERB) Board of Washington supports the Rural Broadband Program with grant awards for construction and creative partnership opportunities with telecommunications providers such as Ziply Fiber. In turn, Ziply Fiber’s strategy and focus in the Pacific Northwest is providing the best possible Internet services to residents and businesses in small, rural towns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the digital divide in terms of accessible Internet connectivity. It has also created substantial policy focus from the state legislature and from funding organizations trying to determine how to solve this problem, especially in rural communities that are often unserved or under-served. Public-private partnerships like this one between the Port of Skagit and Ziply Fiber is a creative and effective way to help bridge that divide and make a difference on a local level.

About Ziply Fiber
Ziply Fiber is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, and has major offices in Everett, Washington; Beaverton, Oregon and Hayden, Idaho. Most of Ziply Fiber’s executive team, which consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink and Wave Broadband, either grew up in the Northwest or have spent the better part of 30 years living here. That local ownership and market familiarity is an important part of the company mindset and culture.

About the Port of Skagit

The mission of the Port of Skagit is “Good Jobs for the Skagit Valley.”  The Port focusses on economic development opportunities through job creation, commerce and public infrastructure.  Approximately 100 businesses are located on Port of Skagit properties, including Skagit Regional Airport, Bayview Business Park, La Conner Marina, and the SWIFT Center in Sedro-Woolley.

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