Douglas Fast Net plans to extend fiber internet service to nearly 4,500 homes in rural parts of Douglas, Coos and Lane counties through a $42 million broadband project.
The Roseburg-based internet provider recently received a more than $31 million federal grant. DFN will contribute about $10.5 million to the project.
Sales Director Garrett Stembridge said the new fiber network will help hard-to-reach areas, especially as artificial intelligence expands.
"The need for bandwidth inside the home is expected just to continue to grow and grow and grow," he said. "By DFN providing fiber access to all these homes, they are going to be future-proofed for whatever bandwidth needs the future entails."
The communities where service will be expanded are: Bandon, Bethel, Coquille, Creswell, Crow-Applegate-Lorane, Days Creek, Elkton, Eugene, Fern Ridge, Glendale, Glide, Junction City, Lowell, Marcola, North Douglas, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, Reedsport, Riddle, Roseburg, South Lane, Springfield, Winston-Dillard and Yoncalla.
DFN plans to post more detailed information on its website about where construction will begin first.
Kathleen Wilson, Riddle city manager and recorder, said some residents use the local library because they lack internet service at home.
"We have a lot of people utilize our library here for their job applications, doing their taxes, whatever, because some, of course, can't afford a service, but others just don't have it," she said.
Wilson said DFN offers a "very good" service and responds quickly to customers' problems, making it a good option for rural communities.
Work is expected to begin late this year and take about four years to complete. The project will involve installing about 600 miles of fiber-optic cable. DFN said the expansion will also create jobs, although it hasn’t said how many.
“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is essential infrastructure,” CEO Todd Way said in a statement. “This investment allows us to continue doing what DFN has been doing for more than 25 years: building fiber and connecting the communities we call home.”
DFN plans to hold public events to answer residents’ questions about the expansion.
