Broadband in the Valley

Broadband in the Skagit Valley

By Linda Tyler, Port of Skagit

Opportunities for broadband access continue to expand throughout Skagit County, a charge led by the Port of Skagit, an EDASC Investor, and a diverse and valuable group of partners.

The effort to improve rural broadband access dates back several years when the Port of Skagit conducted an East County Telecom Survey, uncovering harsh inadequacies in internet service performance, affordability, and availability. Responses revealed that merchants couldn’t process business transactions, students couldn’t complete their homework, teachers weren’t able to develop lesson plans, healthcare professionals were hindered in providing care to their patients, and more.

These shortcomings were negatively impacting economic opportunities, livelihoods, sustainable jobs and quality of life. People rely on connectivity for education, employment, health care, economic opportunities, public health, safety, and other essential services daily.

In response to this need, the Port began working in coordination with Skagit County, Skagit PUD, EDASC, and cities and towns throughout the county to develop a strategic plan for a community fiber optic network spanning across Skagit County, from Anacortes to Concrete.

From that work, the Port of Skagit and Skagit PUD jointly created SkagitNet LLC to lead the efforts to design, construct and manage this network. This unique partnership between two public entities has brought great benefit to our community and local broadband effort, successfully securing more than $10 million in grants and loans from Skagit County, the state Public Works Board and Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB).

To date, there are six internet service providers (ISPs) operating on the network, which reaches just beyond Sedro-Woolley to the east. These private sector ISPs lease the infrastructure to bring internet service to their customers, which in turn provides operating capital for the network.

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Resources Management Association (SIHRMA).

Many businesses reported successful hires from the job fair, including Burlington boat builder Aspen Catamarans.

“We spoke with multiple qualified candidates during the online job fair,” said Berry Zimmerman, talent manager at Aspen Power Catamarans. “One of the candidates swiftly moved through our interviewing and hiring process to full-time employment in our boatbuilding factory.”

EDASC is also involved in ongoing workforce initiatives. It collaborates with several organizations to help businesses access funding opportunities to upskill workers. In 2021, EDASC’s work resulted in two successful job upskilling grants for local manufacturers.

New for 2021, EDASC organized and co-hosted the first Career Connect Skagit Summit in partnership with Skagit STEM Network and the Northwest Educational Service District. The virtual workshop showcased the local organizations and programs that help nurture, engage and inspire K-12 through college-age youth. The event led to several businesses connecting with the Skagit STEM Network to provide workplace learning opportunities to foster career development.

EDASC’s leadership training program, Leadership Skagit, also continues to graduate local emerging leaders ready to make their positive impact on the community and help take their businesses and organizations to the next level. Although not an intentional feature of the program, Leadership Skagit participants often find their careers taking a more meaningful, if not completely different direction during or after their year.

Looking ahead, EDASC has put forth several recommendations through its Skagit County Economic Recovery Plan for the County to consider addressing workforce barriers, such as access to childcare, returnship programs, signing bonuses for manufacturers, a public transportation needs assessment and more.

Said EDASC CEO John Sternlicht, “In this highly competitive labor environment, employers and indeed the entire community need innovative efforts to attract and retain the workforce they need. This involves improving the lives of employees and removing barriers to their employment.”

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In addition, several projects beyond the original network scope are underway. The Port is working with EDASC Investor Ziply Fiber to build out fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) infrastructure in Lyman, Hamilton, Concrete and Marblemount which will connect 1,200 homes when complete. The Port is working with the SaukSuiattle Tribe to build out the network beyond Concrete to Darrington and the highly underserved area of southeast Skagit County. Most recently, the Port received funding to build FTTP infrastructure on Fir Island, to connect 175 homes and businesses and provide critically important redundancy to safeguard the network. The added connectivity will be invaluable to the businesses in those underserved areas, opening the door to compete in the modern digital economy.

Both nationally and locally, the future of broadband deployment is bright. Rural funding opportunities at the federal and state levels are prevalent. GIS mapping to identify needs and opportunities for improving broadband infrastructure throughout Skagit County is complete. And a proven model is in use: a publicly owned network that operates as an open access, carrier grade, multiprovider, competitive environment. The next steps are to continue to match specific funding opportunities with the right segment of our community and present our most compelling statement of need to secure funding for the next area, district, neighborhood, or corner of our valley.

Truth be told, this effort — the emerging technologies, funding sources, legislation, collaborative partnerships and more — is like a fastmoving train. By the time you read this article it likely will already be outdated. But for the business owner, teacher, employee, doctor, student, or family who requires more and better from this essential service, there is no work of greater importance than seeking out the partners, collaborations and funding needed to help Skagit County citizens thrive in this digital world.