The Port of Lewiston, often cited as the West Coast’s most inland port, has begun construction on a 92-mile broadband backbone intended to bring high-speed internet to underserved rural communities in North Central Idaho.
The project builds on years of open-access fiber work. Since 2016, the port has laid dark fiber optic infrastructure within its district to create an open-access network for economic development. To date, about 52 miles of dark fiber have been completed, including redundant paths across the Southway and Memorial Bridges.
Port officials describe the effort as public infrastructure construction—akin to building a road—only this highway moves data. The goal is to bridge the digital divide by offering an open-access platform for any interested service provider.
Contractor Crown Utilities, Idaho-based, is leading the current phase. The first segment runs fiber between Moscow and Lewiston.
Lewiston, with a population exceeding 30,000, sits more than 460 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean along the Snake River, a location that also supports river barge services, according to port materials.
