To our County Commissioners and to the board members of the Tillamook PUD, the Port of Tillamook Bay, and Tillamook Lightwave;

Through your collective efforts over the past twenty-two years, Tillamook Lightwave has achieved the vision of building a robust fiber-optic network throughout our county that has helped businesses and public entities thrive.

We now ask that you make every effort to bring accessible and affordable high-speed Internet to every household in Tillamook County.

The need is great. Utilizing the Internet is no longer a luxury. It is a solution to keep us connected; not only to each other but to the world. It is a tool, a teacher, and sometimes a lifeline. It has become as necessary as any other utility and is used on a daily basis by nearly every resident in the county.

But access is limited by high costs, vast areas with no coverage, and painfully slow speeds. For a large portion of our county, both Internet and cell phone coverage are unavailable. This includes areas like Oceanside, Miami-Foley Road, and the dangerous Highway 6 corridor, which claimed seven lives last year. You have the power to change this.

We are families, farmers, students, artists, workers, creators, entrepreneurs, retirees, travelers on the roads, long time residents, and senior citizens. We live downtown and down long, lonely roads with no neighbors for miles.

We, the citizens of Tillamook County, ask that a new vision for the future of Tillamook Lightwave be set. A vision that has room to continue the great work that Tillamook Lightwave has done for industry, but one that also has room to encompass the people.

Thank you for your time and your service.