On October 16, 2025, Whidbey Telecom hosted a celebration in recognition of the Washington State Public Works Board (PWB) Grants and Loans to expand fiber broadband infrastructure and service on Whidbey Island. Our heartfelt appreciation goes to our distinguished guests Sheila Richardson and Gary Rowe from the Public Works Board, Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair, and former Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson who were instrumental in making the PWB application a success.
Whidbey Telecom has been awarded over $8 million from the PWB in grants and loans to extend The BiG GiG Fiber Network® to currently underserved areas of South Whidbey Island. The project includes the construction of approximately 44 miles of middle and last mile infrastructure expansion and will make fiber broadband available to nearly 2120 service addresses in the Clinton area. This expansion of fiber broadband infrastructure will enable the community to access educational, health care, economic, and public safety opportunities.
“Whidbey Island is our home, we are honored to be able to champion our community with the support of PWB funding.” says Donna Hilty, COO of Whidbey Telecom. “We are committed to delivering broadband over fiber to our local communities, and this funding will allow us to continue to build out The BiG GiG Fiber Network® to some of the more remote areas of our rural service area. We could not do this work without the support of the PWB.”
George Henny, Co-CEO of Whidbey Telecom, stated, “Washington State is making a significant investment in infrastructure and the competitiveness of Whidbey Island businesses. We are encouraged by these efforts to ensure that our community has access to affordable, reliable, scalable, and future-ready, fiber broadband technologies supporting the economic viability of Whidbey Island today and into the future.”
Whidbey Telecom has been recognized by federal, state and county institutions for providing superior local service to rural areas of South Whidbey and Point Roberts, Washington. Whidbey Telecom is the only local provider on Whidbey Island offering a 100% buried, reliable, fiber-optic network to residential and business customers with synchronous upload and download speeds up to 5Gig. Whidbey Telecom continues to deliver communications solutions to its customers and communities, serving home and commercial customers on Whidbey Island, Point Roberts, and Hat Island.
The Washington State Public Works Board was created by the Legislature in 1985. Since its creation, the 13-member board has provided more than $3.1 billion to over 2,000 infrastructure projects across the state. The purpose of the board is to encourage self-reliance by local governments in meeting their public works needs and to assist in the financing of critical public works projects by making loans, grants, financing guarantees, and technical assistance available to local governments for these projects. For more information on Public Works Board programs and funding opportunities.
Read the Public Works Board official press releases here and here.
Locally owned and operated since 1908, Whidbey Telecom continually strives to enhance connectivity and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. We believe broadband infrastructure and access to high-speed internet service is critical to residents, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public safety in Island County and beyond. We continue to explore and pursue opportunities for collaboration and cooperation with our vendors, nonprofits, and community partners.
