Broadband Strategy, Washington County, OR

ECONorthwest led a team with support from Uptown Services to create a Broadband Investment Strategy for Washington County. The project aimed to establish a shared baseline understanding of broadband infrastructure, access, and affordability within the county and to identify key investment recommendations through the creation of a proposed Broadband Investment Strategy. ECO’s role centered around regional stakeholder coordination, demographic analysis, social research, assessment of economic impacts, and the development of a policy framework. This project identified technical needs to build out a more complete broadband system; evaluated access considering household, business, and neighborhood-level variables; identified disparities in affordability across various demographic groups; set the table for partnerships; and helped prepare local jurisdictions to both acquire funding and make broadband investments.