QLife Network has secured $15.2 million in federal funding to expand high-speed fiber internet service to 924 homes and businesses in northern Wasco County, Oregon.
The project will extend fiber broadband to rural and unincorporated areas west and southwest of The Dalles, including communities near Chenoweth Creek, Cherry Heights, and Browns Creek. The expansion will also reach upland areas between The Dalles and Mosier, along with select locations along the Columbia River east of The Dalles. QLife plans to install more than 30 miles of fiber infrastructure over a four-year period.
The total project investment is approximately $20 million. Federal funding is provided through BEAD, with a required local match of about $5 million. The funding will support engineering, permitting, materials, construction, and final deployment.
The project is expected to support approximately 20 jobs during construction and deployment. Once completed, the network will provide reliable high-speed internet access to households and businesses that currently experience limited or unreliable service, supporting remote work, online education, telehealth, and digital-dependent agricultural operations.