The Project Brings High-Speed Fiber Internet to Rural Tillamook County
Tillamook, OR — APRIL 8, 2025 — Astound Broadband today announced that it has completed a 108-mile underground fiber route along Highway 6, bringing high-speed internet connectivity to more than 270 homes in rural Tillamook County for the first time. Constructed 100% underground, the fiber route runs from a submarine cable landing station located south of Pacific City to Hillsboro, passing through Tillamook. It enables fiber-based internet service along the highway, an area that previously had limited connectivity. This project is partially funded by Amazon Web Services’, Inc. (AWS) investment in the Bifrost submarine cable system.
Area residents can sign up now by calling (503) 341-5337 for installations being scheduled in select areas. Astound is rolling out high speed service to area homes throughout 2025, according to Matt Updenkelder, Astound VP of Infrastructure Development for Oregon and a longtime area resident.
“Bringing high-speed fiber internet to the rural Highway 6 corridor is a significant milestone, as it provides much needed connectivity for underserved area residents and sets a foundation for other organizations and agencies to further expand,” said Updenkelder. “This build is an example of how investments in a submarine cable system can bring vastly improved connectivity to nearby areas. It is also testament to hard work and perseverance, as our crews encountered extremely rocky and difficult terrain along much of the route, in the process of completing all the underground construction.”
Nicole Martinez and her family live in Gales Creek, OR, an isolated area that previously had no high-speed internet connectivity available. Prior to Astound, the family tried “just about everything” for connectivity: This most recently included a satellite option that required her husband to climb a tree on their property to install the needed hardware, only to have a connection that would go down every two or three minutes. In January, Astound delivered 1.5 gigabit speed, fiber-based internet access to the family’s home. As one of the area’s first high-speed internet households, Nicole and her family of five now regularly work and play online, ranging from full-time work and studying to utilizing Amazon’s Fire TV Stick for streaming movies and video, installing apps, and playing music on any of their home TVs.
“This is amazing and life-changing,” said Martinez, who works from home as an interpreter services coordinator and is attending college online, working toward degrees in addiction counseling and criminal justice. “Working and studying from home is now a breeze and all five of us in the household are connected on multiple devices, with no interruptions. In addition, we frequently have visitors and they’re enjoying the connectivity, as well. The kids love it for movies, games, as well as some schoolwork online.”
“Reliable internet access is essential for rural communities to thrive in today’s digital age. At AWS, we recognize the crucial role connectivity plays in enabling economic growth, educational opportunities, and access to vital services,” said Courtney Lee, senior manager of public policy, AWS. “Our collaboration with local leaders and Astound Broadband aims to support bridging the digital divide in the Tillamook area and along Highway 6. This project underscores our commitment to investing in the long-term success of local communities, ensuring that residents, businesses, schools, and government facilities have equitable access to the online resources they need to prosper.”
CELLULAR SERVICE
Along much of Highway 6, there is currently no cellular service. While the new fiber pathway project does not specifically include installation of cellular towers along the route, the availability of high-speed, high-capacity wired service may make the process of installing antennas and establishing cellular service easier than before.
“We continue to work with the State of Oregon and look forward to providing critical connectivity for our customers along this important stretch of Highway 6,” said Alex Leupp, Senior Manager of State Government Affairs for Verizon. “We thank Astound for their significant work in delivering the fiber backhaul.”
A portion of the new fiber route belongs to Tillamook Lightwave, an inter-governmental agency comprised of the Tillamook People’s Utility District, Tillamook County and the Port of Tillamook Bay. As part of Tillamook Lightwave’s robust network, the new fiber route is anticipated to increase reliability, diversity and available bandwidth for the local community.
“Rural Tillamook County residents in the Highway 6 corridor will be able to access the same levels of reliable, high-speed connectivity that larger communities have come to expect,” said Erin Skaar, Tillamook County Commissioner. “This can have positive impacts tied to both quality of life and productivity. We are especially pleased that companies operating within the county have invested in building the needed infrastructure to make this a reality.”
