About one-third of Douglas County, Ore., is able to access fiber Internet. The project, which began over 20 years ago, has brought substantial economic impact to the local area to the tune of $28 million each year.

“It has helped our customers reduce costs, our hospitals improve care, our city government reduce costs and enabled students of all ages participate in online learning,” said DFN CEO Todd Way in an emailed release. “We know that it’s also playing a key role in helping keep some of our largest employers in the area and attract new businesses and industries to our market.”

DEC is also moving the county toward a smart grid system with the fiber infrastructure, which could help residents see savings on their electrical bills when all the work is completed.