The City of Eugene is working to build EUGNet, a high-speed, publicly owned fiber network in the downtown area.
EUGNet, stretching over 1,200 miles, will be the largest publicly owned, open-access fiber network in the country.
The project aims to improve Downtown Eugene’s technology infrastructure, making it one of the country’s most well-connected cities.
The City of Eugene, Lane Council of Governments (LCOG), and Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) partnered with the Technology Association of Oregon (TAO) to begin the project in 2015. Initially, fiber was brought to three buildings: 44 Broadway – The Broadway Commerce Center, 940 Willamette – The Woolworth, and 942 Olive St – RAIN Eugene.
The project attracted interest from several Internet providers, but ultimately, XS Media (now Hunter Communications) spearheaded efforts to connect businesses downtown.
The pilot project’s success led the Eugene City Council to vote for its expansion and funding to a wider area in the downtown core, ensuring that downtown businesses have access to world-class high-speed internet.
Local Service
Located in the Miner Building in downtown Eugene, XS Media (now Hunter Communications) is the premier fiber internet service provider for the community.
From the beginning of the fiber project, the company has coordinated with city officials and other organizations to ensure its success.
XS Media (now Hunter Communications) met with businesses and community members to identify their connectivity needs. The company offers speeds up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) and launched a 10 Gbps service in March 2017. The connection is among the fastest in the nation and a quarter of the price of service in other cities.
Reliable Internet
XS Media (now Hunter Communications) connected over 98% of the businesses in the pilot phase of the project. Because the company leverages the newest technology and uses best networking practices, XS Media (now Hunter Communications) is the most reliable provider in downtown Eugene.
XS Media’s (now Hunter Communications) backbone is served by two paths: one heading north in Portland and the other heading south to the Bay Area. This diversity of the backbone provides businesses with unparalleled access.
The company also offers on-site assistance and 24/7 support.
Upgrading Technology
XS Media (now Hunter Communications) has been serving Lane County since 2001. The company has continued to evolve its technology as new products and services are released.
In March 2017, XS Media (now Hunter Communications) upgraded its core to maximize networking, hardware, and physical redundancies.
XS Media (now Hunter Communications) is excited to be the first provider serving downtown to offer 10 gigabit internet connections.
Historical Project Timeline
August 2017 – Phase 2 construction begins downtown with connections to the Downtown Athletic Club, Citizen’s Building, and others.
June 2017 – Phase 1 construction downtown begins with connections to IDX, Pipeworks, and 6 other buildings.
May 2017 – Eugene secures federal funding to complete downtown high-speed fiber network.
March 2017 – Fiber Launch Celebration in the Miner Building where XS Media (now Hunter Communications) demos 10 gigabit Internet.
February 2017 – The EWEB board approved the inter-governmental agreement to expand construction of EUGNet, to the downtown.
January 2017 – The Register-Guard publishes an article on the Downtown Fiber Project.
December 2016—The City of Eugene approved an open-access fiber pipeline to San Jose and Portland to improve Eugene’s capacity for the downtown project. Its scheduled completion is March 2017.