Tillamook Lightwave Broadband Assessment and Feasibility Study

Challenge: Tillamook Lightwave (TLW) a consortium of Tillamook County, Tillamook People’s Utility District, and the Port of Tillamook Bay, initiated a discovery study to gain a clearer understanding of broadband needs in the county. TLW contracted with HR Green, to complete this initial discovery phase.

With 21 miles of deployed fiber serving as the middle mile for providers and recognizing the increased demand for high-quality, fast broadband in its service area, TLW sought to answer key strategic questions:

• What role should Tillamook Lightwave play in expanding broadband services?
• How can this important asset expand to provide services outside of those provided to carriers and anchor institutions?
• What role should TLW play and should it consider becoming a direct service provider?

Solution: HR Green is studying the issues outlined above, focusing initially on documenting current conditions and services in this coastal and rural county. TLW’s board of directors and owner-partners will review the information collected in Phase I in order to formally develop its Vision for the future role of TLW in expanding broadband services. Once the Vision is established, HR Green will develop preliminary engineering designs based on the service model selected by TLW and develop robust financial feasibility studies to guide future development and deployment of fiber optic infrastructure.

By establishing a clear path forward – supported by a strong understanding of technical and financial deployment issues – TLW will be in a position to leverage its current assets and improve broadband service to more than 25,000 residents who are generally underserved. This will mean improved access to telemedicine, improved work from home for its full-time and seasonal residents, and access to remote learning for its youth.