The Port of Whitman County recognizes that high-speed internet service is essential for our rural communities to prosper. Reliable broadband connects our community to the greater global market, allowing for better connectivity, increased resilience, and greater economic growth.
The Port obtained funding through CERB to build fiber-to-the-premise in the following locations:
Northern Whitman County
Southern Whitman County
The Port plans to procure a construction contract in late July/early August with work likely to begin in September or October. There may be delays in construction dependent on weather and road restrictions, which could push the project into the spring of 2026.
In the mid-1990s, the Port of Whitman recognized the need within Whitman County for high bandwidth internet access. Port commissioners and staff concluded that the Port was the perfect entity to build this high-tech infrastructure. This plan, however, ran into two roadblocks:
1. Federal boundary and reimbursement rules prevented the county’s telecommunications companies from offering modern services.
2. The Port lacked the legal authority to build the infrastructure.
Understanding the importance of internet accessibility, the Port began lobbying for new state broadband legislation. Success came in 2000 when Washington State lawmakers signed Substitute Senate Bill 6675 into law. The bill authorizes ports and public utility districts to build broadband infrastructure and offer wholesale telecommunications services.
Since then, the Port has built over 300 miles of dark fiber across Whitman County.
The Port of Whitman County’s broadband work generates $31.5 million in output and supports 125 jobs annually, including multiplier effects.
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