Oregon

Business Oregon’s Oregon Broadband Office announced the preliminary awardees selected to assume Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment projects that were voluntarily declined by their original awardees.

Astound Vice President of Regulatory Broadband and Community Relations Fred Maldonado said Astound had submitted 33 Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program applications in Texas, designed to form a single, contiguous fiber route extending from the company’s existing network into more than 30 counties. The state ultimately awarded only five of those applications, leaving Astound with counties sitting far from its existing footprint. “It regrettably became impossible to justify the expense to build to these counties,” Maldonado said. Oregon presented a similar problem.

Business Oregon’s Oregon Broadband Office has received approval from the U.S. Department of the Treasury for a six-month extension of the ARPA Capital Projects Fund - Broadband Deployment Program, providing additional time to complete critical broadband infrastructure projects across the state. Oregon Broadband Office submitted extension requests on behalf of 13 of 17 awarded projects and received approval for all 13 on June 18, 2026. The four projects that did not seek an extension are expected to reach completion by September 30, 2026.

Alyrica Networks, Blue Mountain, Columbia County, Comcast Cable, Consumers Power Inc., Douglas Services, E4 Connect, Farmer’s Mutual Telephone Company, Gilliam County, Hood River Electric & Internet Co-op, Northwest Fiber, Pioneer Connect, Siuslaw, Stimulus Technologies, Windwave Communications, and Starlink have all accepted Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program awards to build broadband networks in Oregon. However, Astound, Siuslaw Broadband, Q-Life, and Hunter have declined BEAD awards. These rejections affect 13,381 broadband-serviceable locations.

As Chair of the Public Utility Commission of Oregon (OPUC), I write to express appreciation to the FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) for sharing the underlying death data that informed the OIG's January 26, 2026 Advisory Regarding Deceased and Duplicate Lifeline Subscribers. The opportunity to conduct an independent, Oregon-specific analysis of that data has been valuable and I submit this letter to provide additional context that offers a more complete picture of Oregon's program administration and the broader systemic issues raised in the Advisory.

The Oregon Broadband Office is pleased to announce that the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Notice of Award has been signed by both the Oregon Broadband Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology on 4/17/2026. Notice of Award within the context of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is a legal, binding document that formally notifies a recipient that a grant or cooperative agreement has been awarded.

The Oregon Broadband Office is pleased to announce the awardees of the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund Digital Connectivity Technology Program, distributing $6.8 million in grant funding to organizations across Oregon.

State legislatures across the country are recognizing that good broadband adoption is vital for a robust economy and have tackled or are considering plans to make broadband more affordable. The Oregon legislature passed HB 3148, which strengthens support for low-income broadband customers.

The Oregon Broadband Office has launched the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Digital Connectivity Technology Program, making $6.8 million available to expand access to internet-enabled devices and public Wi-Fi infrastructure across Oregon. Funded through the U.S.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce has approved 50 out of 56 Final Proposals from states and territories to ensure universal broadband access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. “I am thrilled to announce that NTIA has approved 50 out of 56 Final BEAD Proposals,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth.