Today the Snohomish County Council approved contracts with Ziply Fiber to expand broadband access in and around the Town of Index and unincorporated area of Verlot. These projects will bring service to approximately 622 locations in Index and 341 locations in Verlot which are currently unserved by broadband.

“As co-chair of the County Broadband Action Team I am proud of the collaborative work we are doing with our partners to bring broadband to underserved areas. As we saw firsthand during the Bolt Creek Fire, infrastructure is vital to our rural communities. I believe this is a great use of our county ARPA dollars,” said Councilmember Sam Low, co-chair of the County Broadband Action Team.

“I appreciate the constructive partnership we have forged to improve broadband access across Snohomish County,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “These investments will have a profound impact on families, businesses, and all of our communities, whether urban or rural. I appreciate Councilmembers Nehring and Low for helping make these projects a reality.”

The Broadband Action Team has been actively working with providers to find solutions and funding for Snohomish County residents and businesses where broadband access has been historically limited. The projects are funded through a combination of county ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds and investments from Ziply. Snohomish County is investing $4,363,955 and Ziply is investing $1,351,909.

“It is exciting to see the Index and Verlot broadband expansion funding approved by the County Council.” Said Councilmember Nate Nehring, “More and more of our daily lives rely on access to reliable, high-speed internet for school, healthcare, and other critical services. I am thankful to the staff from Snohomish County and Ziply Fiber who helped get us to this point.”

The county, working with Ziply Fiber, was able to secure funding for the HWY 530 broadband expansion project, which had its official ribbon cutting for the project on June 26th, 2024 in Darrington. These projects are the next round of broadband expansion projects in Snohomish County.

The County continues to actively seek funding for additional identified projects in areas of need. The Broadband Action Team is committed to ensuring that our constituents get the best possible solutions to their broadband needs.

About the Broadband Action Team

The Broadband Action Team (BAT) is a collaboration of stakeholders in our community focused on identifying the need for broadband expansion, raising the awareness of the need, and developing strategies for addressing the need. Executive Dave Somers, Councilmember Nate Nehring, and Councilmember Sam Low have brought these stakeholders together to form the BAT. The stakeholders involved include community leaders from education, healthcare, business, first responders, local government, and providers. 

Source: Office of Councilman Nate Nehring