Douglas County, Oregon: Building a Fiber Pathway Forward

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the first of its Broadband Community Profiles designed to uncover the economic and societal impact that fiber broadband is having on rural communities across North America. The research, conducted by Futuriom Research, shows that Douglas County (OR) served by internet service provider Douglas Fast Net (DFN), has successfully leveraged fiber broadband to create jobs, improve the quality of living, invest in its future, and even fight forest fires all while creating approximately $28 million in revenue or savings each year. To date, DFN has deployed 2,799 miles of fiber in Douglas County to over 12,531 subscribers and nearly one-third of the local population. DFN plans to expand its network footprint significantly while offering 10G symmetrical services in the near term. It has spent the last two decades adding to its network through organic growth and acquisition, bringing fiber broadband to more people in its region. Despite economic setbacks in Douglas County, fiber optic facilities have been key to preserving business in the region and have contributed significantly to healthcare, education, and government. While Internet service provider competition ramps up in various parts of Douglas County, DFN’s fiber infrastructure has become a source of revenue, as DFN is able to lease fiber to other carriers, even competitors.