Back to Blog

San Juan County Cooperates on Broadband Deployment in Eastsound

From Rock Island Communications:

San Juan County is allowing Rock Island Communications to install fiber optic cable in the conduit associated with the County’s Eastsound Village streetlight project.
“Co-locating our fiber optic cable in the streetlight conduit will save businesses located in Eastsound Village a great deal on connection costs,” said Gerry Lawlor, Rock Island’s Executive Vice President. “And, it will help us connect those businesses more quickly.”

“San Juan County Council member Rick Hughes and County Manager Mike Thomas were instrumental in making this happen,” said Foster Hildreth, General Manager of OPALCO and President of Rock Island. “It’s the best use of our county and co-op resources to utilize the existing streetlight conduit for dual purposes.”

Rick Hughes added, “I strongly support OPALCO and Rock Island joining forces to bring high-speed broadband to Eastsound and to the entire County. This is another example of how San Juan County is spearheading economic development in our community and solving complex issues in cooperation with local businesses.”

Rock Island Communications provides modern, scalable and reliable broadband services for homes and businesses in San Juan County and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Orcas Power & Light Cooperative. For more information, go to www.rockisland.com and follow us on Facebook.

You may also like...

microgrid

Quick Fact – Decatur Island Solar Expansion

On May 8, 2026: San Juan County Hearing Examiner Gary N. McLean officially approved the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the project, finding that all requirements were found to be … Read more
calculator

Quick Fact – OPALCO Annual Audits

Each year, OPALCO’s finances are examined by an independent third-party auditing firm. For 2025 the Board hired Baker Tilly, a national auditing firm. This kind of independent oversight is one … Read more
spice girls

The Real Spice Girls of Friday Harbor

Volunteerism at the Friday Harbor Food Bank As anyone who lives here knows, non-profit organizations are the lifeblood of the San Juan Islands. San Juan County is home to hundreds … Read more