The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Pioneer Connect of Philomath a $24.9 million grant in the fourth round of funding in the federal government’s broadband “ReConnect” program.
Pioneer said it will use the grant to build 168 miles of fiber cable to more than 1,600 rural locations in Lincoln, Benton and Lane counties.
The projects are designed to provide increased internet speeds and enhanced reliability, Pioneer said in a news release announcing the grant, eliminating many challenges faced by rural community residents and businesses.
In 2022 Pioneer received a similar size grant to couple with a $8.3 million loan to replace its copper network with a fiber network to serve more than 1,500 residences and businesses in rural areas of Lincoln Benton and Polk counties. In 2021 it received a $3 million USDA grant for a $3.7 million project to install fiber connections in the Triangle Lake, Deadwood, Horton and Blachly areas.
The latest award is not related to the $3.23 million grant Pioneer is seeking to build a fiber network in the Tenmile area south of Yachats.
“High-speed broadband drives economic growth, enabling rural communities to prosper and ensuring rural residents continue to have the freedom to work and live where they choose,” Pioneer Connects general manager James Rennard said in the news release. “Extending fiber-optic infrastructure to rural areas is complex, coupled with the challenging landscapes and substantial costs. Fiber-to-the-Home ensures that our customers need not compromise on speed or quality. They won’t have to share connections with neighbors or be concerned about external factors such as weather, trees, or topography, which can affect service with other technologies.”
Pioneer will have five years to complete the latest ReConnect projects once the final documentation is completed and funds are made available.
Pioneer says its long-term strategic plan is to replace its copper network with fiber across its 1,300 square-mile service area. In the last two years, Pioneer has completed two other significant fiber projects to more than 4,300 homes and businesses in Waldport and Philomath.
