In focus: ToledoTel, county officials celebrate milestone in high-speed internet project in Winlock

The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
·2 min read

May 3—Lewis County commissioners, ToledoTel staff and others gathered at KR Rentals in Winlock Friday, May 3, to celebrate the first connection for an ongoing project to expand high-speed internet access in the area.

In October, officials broke ground on a joint project with ToledoTel that will bring broadband service to more than 2,300 homes and businesses in the Winlock area.

The project includes 134 miles of line construction, funded through a $23.5 million grant from the Washington State Broadband Office and an additional $2.35 million matching funds from ToledoTel. Dale Merten, ToledoTel vice president and CEO, said ToledoTel did not have direct access to the grant funding needed for the project, which required Lewis County involvement.

During the groundbreaking, Merten estimated that the project would be completed in October 2026.

Below is a news release on Friday's event from the Lewis County commissioners:

Representatives from ToledoTel and KR Homes joined Lewis County officials, Rep. Jim Walsh and others today to mark a significant milestone in the effort to improve rural internet service: the first fiber broadband connection resulting from the Winlock Broadband Expansion project.

Commissioner Scott Brummer, who had the honor of plugging in the fiber to KR Homes in Winlock, hailed the symbolic event and local leaders' commitment to bridge the digital divide and empower communities with robust, reliable internet access.

"This is a unique partnership between local government and the private sector that has brought tangible results to the people of Lewis County," Brummer said. "I am hopeful these collaborative efforts will bring additional broadband infrastructure improvements to benefit our communities."

Commissioner Lindsey Pollock echoed his sentiments.

"Broadband access brings wealth of opportunity for our future," she said. "New modes of working, learning, and collaborating with people near and far are now accessible to the residents of Winlock. Gone are the days of spending three nights downloading small business accounting software, explaining that we can't access video, and inability to access the full breadth of training materials available online. This project enables thousands of people to enrich their lives and reach toward a brighter future."