In December 2020, OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) received a $500,000 grant from Yamhill County as part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act). This grant was awarded to OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) to accelerate the expansion of fixed wireless coverage and upgrade services for existing customers in the network. This article provides an overview of the Yamhill County Broadband Expansion.
OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) is the largest local internet provider serving residents and businesses in Yamhill County who are outside the reach of fiber or cable broadband service. The company began building a rural wireless network in Yamhill County in 2004 and has continued to expand and improve the network to extend broadband access to more customers. OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) strives to improve the community’s digital capabilities, especially in hard-to-reach places.
Network Improvements
OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) will use the grant money to build additional tower locations throughout Yamhill County. New towers will be constructed in Sheridan, Amity, Eola Hills, Chehalem Ridge, and several other other areas.
The company has also secured new leases at towers in strategic locations. These new tower locations will extend coverage and offer services to customers who could not be reached previously. OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) will also add more transmitters to create a more dense network and provide higher speeds to many customers.
OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) believes that rural customers should have the same access to the internet as those who live in cities. To bring new and improved services to rural customers throughout the county, OnlineNW (now Hunter Communications) will deploy the new towers and transmitters as quickly as possible.