A sizeable check from the federal government is expected to give a boost to rural parts of Sherwood, allowing them to have internet speeds as fast as their in-city-limits neighbors.
On May 13, U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas presented Sherwood officials with a check to expand high-speed broadband internet service.
The money will be used to bolster the city-owned Sherwood Broadband system by improving economic development, health care and education access in the area.
“Whether you need it to telework, apply to colleges, or just to keep in touch with family and friends, having a good internet connection is a necessity in our modern world. Unfortunately, many rural communities still don’t have access to reliable broadband,” Salinas said in a statement. “The funding I secured will be used to expand access to affordable, high-speed internet for folks living in rural areas just outside Sherwood. I’m proud (to) deliver this funding, and I will keep fighting to ensure communities across Oregon’s Sixth District get the resources needed and deserved from our federal government.”
Sherwood had been working with Salinas’ office to help secure funding to help construct roughly 40 miles of fiber cable with plans to pass through 10 rural communities including portions of Sherwood, city officials have said.
Sherwood Mayor Tim Rosener said he was thrilled with the federal funding, calling it a game-changer when it comes to accelerating broadband access to rural areas that surround the city.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Representative Salinas and her team for successfully securing this federal funding for Sherwood. Broadband is no longer a luxury or nice to have; it's an essential utility foundational to equitable access to essential services like education and healthcare,” Rosener said. “This funding is a significant step towards providing vital internet access to unserved and underserved communities, ensuring they are not left behind in our increasingly digital world.”
Craig Sheldon, city manager pro tem, said the funding will help provide service for unserved residents on Kruger, Starlight and Schmeltzer roads. It also will extend service along Parrett Mountain and a portion of Heater Road.
“This expansion is expected to provide service to over 100 unserved residents in the area,” said Sheldon. “The construction for the project is expected to be contracted out so it doesn’t impact the in-town fiber-to-the-home project which is one-third completed.”
That project has been ongoing after the Sherwood City Council started a pilot project to build into various neighborhoods to provide them with a high-speed fiber optic network about five years ago.
Businesses have shown support for high-speed internet as well with city officials saying that some companies who have moved into the Tonquin Employment Area, which includes firms near or just off Southwest 124th Avenue, choosing Sherwood because they had access to broadband service hookup the day they moved in.
Sherwood Broadband brings in about $500,000 each year in revenue, an amount that covers all of its operating costs, including labor. For the last 18 years, the city has operated Sherwood Broadband — an unusual example of a municipal internet service provider. The push to expand has been deemed a “quality of life” issue with the city emphasizing that the advantage of such a service is that the rules, policies and pricing are set locally, in this case by elected representatives of the Sherwood City Council.
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