On October 12, against the backdrop of a bright blue fall sky, Snohomish County executives and civic leaders celebrated the arrival of Ziply Fiber internet in Darrington, WA.
Located in the North Cascades along the Sauk River, Darrington provides access to some of the Pacific Northwest’s best outdoor activities. Yet for many years, Darrington residents, businesses and visitors did not have access to the best connectivity.
For the longest time, there were no internet options besides satellite,
Kaleb Wyatt, owner of Darrington-based Wyatt Works said. This was around 2019. A few years after that, they brought DSL out, before this big broadband push.
At the ribbon-cutting event outside the library, Snohomish County Deputy Executive Kent Patton, County Council Chair Nate Nehring, Senior Advisor Marko Liias and Snohomish County Council Vice Chair Sam Low shared their enthusiasm for the completion of the infrastructure project, which some county officials described as the biggest project they’d ever touched.
Partnering with a local provider was a strong point for everyone who was involved,
Ziply Fiber Community Development Manager Carl Christensen said. They were ultra-appreciative of Ziply Fiber.
The arrival of fiber connectivity is the result of a public-private partnership between Snohomish County and Ziply Fiber and was made possible with funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. When complete, more than 3,000 locations in Darrington will be lit up with fiber-optic service.
Snohomish County contracted with Wyatt Works, a technology-support business, to spread the word about Ziply Fiber’s expansion and encourage installation.
Having the option is really appreciated,
Wyatt said. So far, service has been really good.
The American Rescue Plan Act is part of the federal Covid relief funding that allocated billions of dollars to state and tribal governments in 2021. Darrington is one of the last stops on an infrastructure project that brought fiber internet to SR-530, a 50-mile stretch of Snohomish County in Washington state. In addition to getting hundreds of addresses in Darrington lit up, connectivity also reached the Sauk-Suiattle Tribal Nation.
Washington has taken on an Internet for All initiative to get broadband to every serviceable location in the state,
said Catherine Weatbrook, a Project Manager at the Office of Recovery and Resilience with Snohomish County. The intent was to be able to get internet service to more of our residents in rural or difficult to reach areas.
With fiber internet, Darrington residents and Sauk-Suiattle tribal members will have access to opportunities that will free up time and energy, from working and studying remotely to meeting with healthcare providers virtually.
Fiber internet enhances communications capabilities, enables work from home, medical care from home and improves individual lives,
Christina St. Germaine, Ziply Fiber’s Local Partnerships Manager and Tribal Liaison, said. You can do more than just email. Now you can Facetime.
The need for improved connectivity became clear during Covid, when school and work went remote. County executives saw the value of utilizing their Covid dollars to bring connectivity to remote corners of Snohomish County,
St. Germaine said.
Ziply Fiber’s arrival in Snohomish County in general and Darrington in particular has been well received.
Just being able to have internet at home is a huge factor,
Wyatt said. Being able to cut their TV bill down with streaming, doing calls with their doctors...it’s benefiting the community.
Check your address for service in Darrington.
This project was supported by a grant awarded by the US Department of the Treasury. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of the Treasury. Grant funds are administered by the America Rescue Plan Act, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Washington State Department of Commerce.
