Plan underway to advance Oregon broadband

Business Oregon recently announced 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 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, officials said. 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, 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 NTIA as well as a Statewide Digital Equity Plan.