Archive for October 2021

By Alan Oppenheimer I left Apple in late 1994 to move to Ashland and start an Internet provider (ISP). I had worked on dial-up networking at Apple, and the Internet was just starting, so a dial-up Internet company for Macs seemed like a good idea. I started Open Door Networks here at the same time as some SOU…

Broadband is a foundational tool for rural communities to ensure their residents are able to participate in economic and workforce opportunities, telehealth, distance learning, and to help overcome social isolation.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, rural communities have been rapidly challenged to rapidly connect their residents with broadband services. While programs through schools and other public…

By Chris Tamarin The Oregon Connections Telecommunications conference is in its twenty-fifth year.  It is a conference that was ahead of its time in recognizing the essential nature of state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure to Oregon. Over this span of time, the internet has emerged as the global platform for communication, business, government, education, healthcare, energy management,…

Broadband is a general term used to represent a wide range of telecommunications technologies and services, which utilize a faster data transmission rate than that available over the standard voice grade telephone line, which is 56 Kbps and usually less.  Broadband is also widely referred to as “high-speed” Internet access service.  Until 2008, the FCC’s…

The Oregon Broadband Advisory Council publishes a report on the state of Broadband in Oregon every two years. This is the executive summary from the 180 page report (link at end) published at the end of 2020.  This is the sixth report of the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council (OBAC) to the Legislative Assembly on the…

The Oregon Connections conference has been an important event held throughout the state for 25 years celebrating and inspiring the rapid adoption and upgrading of internet services throughout the state.  Oregon Connections was started in 1996 by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, under the leadership of Andrew Spreadborough. Throughout the conferences history it has been…

It has been nearly 18 months since Hunter Communications was acquired by Grain Management, a private equity firm. Since that time, Hunter has rolled out Fiber to the Home, providing the fastest residential internet in Southern Oregon.  They have earned industry awards for their speeds, won several large contracts to build to unserved communities, increased…

The way we use the internet has drastically changed as we navigate the pandemic. All areas of our lives from education to mental health, banking to the arts depend on fast, reliable internet more than ever before.  PEAK Internet recognized these new needs. More student households were distance learning than ever before, and rural counties…