Archive for September 2022
Lithia & GreenCars pledge historic commitment, set SOU’s philanthropic bedrock
(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University and Medford-based Lithia Motors have announced a philanthropic partnership that will serve as the bedrock of future innovations at SOU. Lithia’s commitment exceeds $12 million and is the largest-ever single gift to the university. The contributions from Lithia Motors (NYSE: LAD) create the Lithia & GreenCars Momentum Fund, which will be used “to…
Read MoreA Few Words from Jim
September 2022 Rural Oregon Broadband This month’s issue is almost all about Broadband. It’s the second annual Oregon Connections Conference Special Edition. This years conference is in Ashland on October 6-7. The theme for this year is Oregon Connections: Navigating the Funding Flood. Find out more at OregonConnections.info. The 2022 conference presenters and attendees will…
Read MoreThe Future of Broadband Services
Access to information services via broadband networks is essential for improving the quality of life of Oregon residents and improving the Oregon economy. Past investments in broadband infrastructure by Oregon telecommunications service providers created a solid foundation for future progress. Rural Oregon is now better served than many rural areas of other western states. Other…
Read MoreAccess to communications technology is critical infrastructure
I am writing this as my company is in the middle of a state of emergency here in northern California, right up against the Oregon border, where we are seeing a serious loss of homes, infrastructure, and lives. There is no one to blame, it is part of the risks of living in rural America.…
Read MoreOregon Broadband Advisory Council Welcomes New Members
The Oregon Broadband Office (OBAC) welcomes nine new members to the Broadband Advisory Council. The council consists of 13 members, 11 of which are appointed by Governor Kate Brown, along with one representative each from the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. OBAC’s mission is to encourage coordination and collaboration between organizations and…
Read MoreOregon’s once-in-a-lifetime broadband opportunity by Representative Pam Marsh
The COVID crisis demonstrated beyond doubt that broadband is vital for our social, economic, emotional and physical health. Individuals and families who lacked access to broadband over the past two years missed out on public health information, remote work opportunities, online learning, health appointments, digital grocery deliveries, live-streamed religious services, and much more. But there…
Read MoreIs Fiber Internet Worth Having in Your home?
Internet providers around the nation are racing to build or upgrade their networks to fiber-optic technology, but many consumers are still asking if fiber is worth having in their homes. From families to gamers, streamers to online workers, fiber provides the fastest, most reliable internet to keep every household connected. Benefits of Fiber Because fiber…
Read MoreBroadband Is Just One Piece of the Bigger Digital Equity Puzzle
During the pandemic, we saw a lot of temporary solutions to digital inequities, from quickly distributing hotspots to free access to broadband for school-aged children, to handing out tablets to older adults. Unfortunately, too many of these one-off tactics end up being wasted investments. Why? We need more than available broadband service to bridge the…
Read MoreIt’s Time: Security as a Critical Component of Essential Broadband Infrastructure
It’s time to treat security as a mission critical component of our essential broadband infrastructure. It’s time to have security lead everything we do; versus being overlaid as a reactive patch for problems and processes our current business and networks were never designed to manage. Security isn’t just a network and security team responsibility; it…
Read MoreAs PEAK Internet Expands Its Investment in Fiber Broadband, It Continues to Grow Opportunities for Its Communities
Oregon is an amazing place to live as we are blessed with beautiful natural surroundings like forests, lakes, and mountains. The flip side, however, is that it can be challenging to get access to the same services enjoyed by people living in more urban areas. During the pandemic, few services became more important than a…
Read MoreBringing High-Speed Fiber Where No One Else Will Go
History sometimes repeats itself. In 1939, Ivan Laird could not get electricity to his farm in Sitkum, a small town 45 miles east of Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast. Like millions of rural Americans, Laird was living a far different life than those in cities. It was a tale of two Americas: one with…
Read MoreLocal Internet Edge Network (LIEN) Modernizing the current internet infrastructure with the State Of Oregon
David Hand has been involved in the Oregon Telecommunications business as long as I have, well over 25 years. Over the years he has built a successful ISP (Mighty.Net) with his partners, as well as a data center in Southern Oregon (Data Center West) with Co-Lo operations in Ashland, Medford, Redding and Eugene. In 2012…
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