$24m in Grants for Oregon Broadband

04 April 2025 | IPv4 Blog

Oregon Awards Over $24 Million in BEAD Grants

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Broadband Office awarded over $24 million in broadband infrastructure grants this week. This marks the final round of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) COVID Capital Projects Fund.

The money flows through the state’s Broadband Deployment Program and will bring high-speed internet to thousands of underserved Oregonians.

The projects will deliver symmetrical 100 Mbps service to about 2,360 locations in Baker, Malheur, and Jackson counties. These grants support Oregon’s push to close the digital divide and improve access in rural areas.

Grant recipients include:

Oregon Telephone Corporation – Two County Regional Fiber Connectivity Link and Last Mile Build: $12.9 million to connect 570 locations in Baker and Malheur counties
Hunter Communications and Technologies LLC – Shady Cove and Trail Oregon: $5.6 million to serve 1,366 locations in Jackson County
Pine Telephone System – Vale Regional Link Expansion: $6.4 million to reach 424 locations in Malheur County

Oregon’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is administered by the Oregon Broadband Office (OBO), a division of Business Oregon.

According to the Oregon Broadband Office, most of the areas covered by this funding round are currently unserved, meaning residents have internet service below the federal benchmark of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds.

In addition to the grant announcements, the state provided an update on its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. A total of 25 applicants have been prequalified to move forward into the Scoring Phase of the program, scheduled to take place from April 22 through May 22. This milestone marks significant progress in Oregon’s efforts to expand digital infrastructure statewide.

The Oregon Broadband Office, a division of Business Oregon, will update the state’s broadband map to reflect the newly funded projects, further enhancing transparency and planning for future development.

For more information on broadband funding, state-specific programs, and additional updates, visit the Oregon Broadband Office.