Partnership between the public and private sector helped speed deployment,
provide an opportunity for economic growth in the region
Kirkland, Wash. (July 30, 2021) – Ziply™ Fiber and the Port of Whitman County today announced that gig-speed fiber Internet is now available and ready for service in Rosalia, Washington. With the recent completion of a critical phase of Ziply Fiber’s build-out and an all-new, state-of-the-art, open-access network, more than 300 homes and businesses are now ready for the fast, symmetrical upload/download speeds that come with fiber Internet, putting Rosalia’s Internet connectivity on par with major cities across the country.
Rosalia is the first of five new fiber build markets to receive fiber Internet as part of the Port’s partnership with Ziply Fiber, a joint effort to bring fiber Internet to new areas of the county and help close the digital divide that exists in many rural communities. The remainder of the builds in the county – which include Garfield, Oakesdale, Palouse and Tekoa – are under construction now and scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
“Residents and businesses in our Whitman County communities will benefit greatly from the significant upgrade that fiber Internet provides when making video calls, uploading and downloading content, streaming entertainment and more,” said Kara Riebold, Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Whitman. “Closing the digital divide has never been more important and we’re excited for residents to select from a number of great providers who will offer services to our cities and towns.”
The Port of Whitman County has long championed the open-access model to promote competitive services for rural residents. The CERB (Community Economic Revitalization Board) of Washington supports the Rural Broadband Program awarding grants and opening the door for partnership opportunities with telecommunications providers such as Ziply Fiber.
“Ziply Fiber is proud to be in Rosalia helping to serve a vital need for this community. Partnerships between the public and private sector such as these are critical in closing the digital divide, as they allow Ziply to begin construction sooner, and also extend our network more broadly to make fiber available to more residents and businesses,” said Harold Zeitz, CEO of Ziply Fiber. “The Port, County and Town have been fantastic partners during the entire build-out process and have acted quickly to assist us in bringing reliable fiber Internet to the county.”
About Ziply Fiber
Ziply Fiber is local in the Northwest, headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, and has major offices in Everett, Washington; Beaverton, Oregon and Hayden, Idaho. Most of Ziply Fiber’s executive team, which consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink and Wave Broadband, either grew up in the Northwest or have spent the better part of 30 years living here. That local ownership and market familiarity is an important part of the company mindset and culture.
Media Contacts:
Dan Miller, Curator PR for Ziply Fiber Kara Riebold, Port of Whitman
206-979-4055 509-288-0179