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Oregon’s rural internet expansion plans through the BEAD program have hit a roadblock this week as several ISPs decline awards.

June 24, 2024 — Oregon is one step closer to expanding high-speed internet statewide, though its massive digital rollout has hit a minor speed bump.

On Tuesday, June 23, the Oregon Broadband Office (OBO) announced that while most selected providers accepted their funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, several declined.

Sixteen providers—including Comcast, Starlink, and various local co-ops—accepted their awards to bring reliable connectivity to thousands of underserved households and businesses. The OBO has already issued contracts to three providers and is working to finalize all remaining agreements by the federal deadline of September 18, 2026.

However, a handful of providers rejected contracts, leaving 13,381 broadband-serviceable locations temporarily in limbo. Astound, which announced plans to merge with GFiber this year in March, walked away from the majority of these projects, declining fiber and mixed technology builds across ten different district grant areas.

Three local providers—Siuslaw Broadband, Hunter Communications, and municipally owned QLife—also declined smaller portions of their provisional awards.

State officials noted that a backup plan is already underway to find new takers for the orphaned zones.

“The OBO has initiated a re-award process for the impacted areas and remains committed to ensuring these communities receive the broadband infrastructure investments needed to close Oregon’s digital divide,” the agency stated.

Some AI tools also assisted in the crafting of this report.

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