Investment will bring fiber internet to 4,490 additional homes across 24 Oregon communities.
Roseburg, Ore. — September 2026 — Douglas Fast Net (DFN) has been awarded a $31.576 million contract through Oregon’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to expand high-speed fiber internet access to 4,490 additional homes across rural communities in Douglas, Coos and Lane counties. Combined with $10.418 million in matching funds contributed by DFN, the project represents a total investment of more than $41.99 million in fiber infrastructure across the region.
The BEAD Program, administered in Oregon by the Oregon Broadband Office within Business Oregon, is a federal initiative designed to expand reliable, high-speed broadband access to communities that have historically lacked adequate internet infrastructure. Oregon’s BEAD investments are focused on closing the digital divide and bringing modern broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved locations.
“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it is essential infrastructure,” said Todd Way, CEO of Douglas Fast Net. “This investment allows us to continue doing what DFN has been doing for more than 25 years: building fiber and connecting the communities we call home. We’re proud to make this investment alongside the State of Oregon and the federal government, and we’re especially proud to put our own resources behind it.”
The BEAD-funded project will extend DFN’s fiber network across grant areas covering Bandon, Bethel, Coquille, Creswell, Crow-Applegate-Lorane, Days Creek, Elkton, Eugene, Fern Ridge, Glendale, Glide, Junction City, Lowell, Marcola, North Douglas, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, Reedsport, Riddle, Roseburg, South Lane, Springfield, Winston-Dillard and Yoncalla.
For the 4,490 homes included in the project, the investment will give residents the opportunity to access DFN’s fully fiber-optic network, providing the speed, reliability and capacity needed for today’s households, businesses, schools, telehealth services and other essential online connections.
DFN is a 100% Oregon-owned and operated internet provider and a wholly owned cooperative subsidiary of Douglas Electric Cooperative. The company launched in 2001 with a mission to connect people in its communities to the world. Today, DFN serves rural and urban communities across Douglas, Coos and Lane counties, with a network stretching from the Oregon coast to the Cascades.
“This project is about more than fiber,” said Todd Way. “It’s about giving families, students, businesses and communities the connectivity they need to participate fully in the modern world. As a local company, we understand the importance of investing in the communities we serve, and this project is a significant step forward in that mission.”
As of August 27, 2026, the Oregon Broadband Office had entered into contracts with a number of broadband providers and organizations for BEAD-funded projects across the state, including Douglas Fast Net. Under the state’s BEAD timeline, most projects are expected to begin in late 2026, with awarded providers obligated to deploy the funded infrastructure within the program’s required timeframe.
DFN’s BEAD project builds on the company’s long-standing commitment to expanding fiber infrastructure throughout the region. Through its cooperative roots and local ownership, DFN has continued reinvesting in its network and the communities it serves.
“This is an exciting milestone for DFN and for the communities included in this project,” said Way. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue expanding access to fiber and to be part of Oregon’s effort to ensure that more people have access to the connectivity they need to live, work, learn and thrive.”
About Douglas Fast Net
Douglas Fast Net (DFN) is a 100% Oregon-owned and operated internet service provider and a wholly owned subsidiary of Douglas Electric Cooperative. Founded in 2001, DFN provides fiber internet and communications services to residential and business customers throughout Douglas, Coos and Lane counties. With a focus on local service, reliable connectivity and community investment, DFN is committed to keeping the communities it serves connected to each other and to the world.