198-Mile Broadband Project Making Significant Progress in Rural Idaho
VALLEY COUNTY, Idaho, Oct. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Construction crews working in Valley County have made significant progress installing the conduit system which will underlie the fiber optics for the Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON) and the Intermountain Infrastructure Group (IIG) between Smiths Ferry and Round Valley. Installation work is progressing steadily and on schedule, moving north from Round Valley along Idaho Highway 55 toward Cascade. The entire project consists of installing 198 miles of fiber optic infrastructure between Grangeville and Star, Idaho.
This route is partially funded by a grant from the State of Idaho and via the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board (IBAB) which awarded $20 million to IIG and IRON. This grant was part of a larger funding allocation of $26.3 million from the Idaho Broadband Fund for middle-mile broadband infrastructure projects. The IBAB recognized that this public/private partnership project is a critical and strategic north-south segment long needed for the state and is a crucial component to fulfill the vision of the long-term Idaho Broadband Strategic Plan. The project and the Idaho Broadband Strategic Plan benefits both the non-profit communities like city and county government as well as commercial users.
The Star to Grangeville route is expected to be completed in summer 2027 and will bring significantly increased opportunities for connectivity to regional service providers interested in providing services along the route. The project will also connect into both the Idaho County / DIGB2 build, extending from Grangeville to Orofino, and the Port of Lewiston middle-mile build, extending north to Lewiston and Moscow. These partnerships are critical to uniting northern and southern Idaho with the robust and diverse connectivity needed for long-term growth and economic development.
Intermountain Infrastructure Group is a company based in Montana and California that currently owns and operates network infrastructure in Idaho, Montana, California, Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois and Nevada.
The Idaho Regional Optical Network (IRON) is a non-profit fiber optic network infrastructure provider in Idaho, dedicated to connecting the state's research, education, healthcare, and government entities to high-speed internet and advanced research networks like Internet2. IRON aims to bridge the digital divide and foster economic development by providing reliable, high-speed connectivity.
- Project photo - photo credit: Idaho Regional Optical Network
Contact:
Brandon Coates, Public Relations Manager, RBCI, 406-465-3350
Andy Binder, Idaho Regional Optical Network, Inc., info@ironforidaho.net
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/58184169-4795-46e3-b218-997cb475db31
IIG-IRON Idaho Fiber Project Highway 55 Round Valley
Installation of Idaho IIG-IRON fiber optic conduit along Hwy 55 Round Valley
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