Business Oregon Announces Partnership to Advance Oregon Broadband

Business Oregon announces its contract with Columbia Telecommunications Corporation, dba CTC Technology, and Energy, as the planning consultant for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and Digital Equity (DE) programs for the Oregon Broadband Office (OBO). Together, CTC and OBO staff, with input from the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council and stakeholders, will develop plans to make the internet accessible, affordable, and reliable via high-speed broadband for all Oregonians. This is a critical moment in the history of telecommunications in the state of Oregon. High-speed internet access is a necessity for all Americans regardless of their age, race, income, living space, native language, resources available to them, and specific challenges they may face in their daily lives. With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the state of Oregon, led by Business Oregon and the Oregon Broadband Office, is partnering with CTC to assess and resolve the state’s broadband needs through the creation of a five-year Action Plan, BEAD Initial Proposal, and BEAD Final Proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as well as a Statewide Digital Equity Plan. The consulting contract allows Business Oregon to pursue the state’s one-time opportunity to access millions in federal funding to invest in broadband infrastructure and support digital adoption programs to take significant steps toward closing the digital divide.

[04/06/2023]