Clackamas Broadband Exchange

CBX is the fiber cables that get access to homes and businesses, referred to as dark fiber. A customer will still need to work with an ISP for “lit” services.

In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission, which transports multiple signals and traffic types. 

In the context of internet access, broadband means any high-speed internet access that is always on and faster than dial-up access.

Lit fiber refers to a fiber-optic infrastructure that is currently in use. Lit fiber networks utilize light pulses to transmit data through fiber optic cables. The critical thing to remember is that lit fiber networks are active and used to transmit data.

Dark fiber refers to a fiber-optic infrastructure that is not currently in use. While the fiber optic cables in lit fiber networks constantly have light pulses streaming through them and carrying data around, the cables in dark fiber networks do not have any light pulses passing through them and are sitting dormant for the most part. 

Clackamas County received $40,631,961 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in May. In July, Clackamas County Commissioners allocated $2.5 million aimed at providing high-speed internet service for residents in rural or underserved parts of the county. 

CBX uses no general funds. All expansion is paid through grants and revenue generated from the service.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us clearly that the internet is no longer a luxury. Rather, internet access has become a basic necessity. Whether it’s for school, an online medical appointment, work, banking, or staying in touch with loved ones, access to high-speed internet has become essential in the modern world. The County Commissioners have prioritized making universal, high-speed and low-cost internet access available to every home and business.

An Internet Service Provider or ISP is a company that homes or businesses contract with to access the internet and other related services such as website building and virtual hosting.

No, CBX is the infrastructure only. A customer must still contract with an ISP to get Internet services.

Clackamas County did not intend to serve as an internet provider in 2010, and that remains true today. An open invitation has been extended to telecoms to join into partnership with CBX. 

• Huntsville Utilities (Alabama) announced in 2016 that they would build a municipal dark fiber network to every premise in its territory that would be open to multiple service providers.
• In 2014, Rockport launched Maine’s first municipal broadband network. Rockport’s network is a carrier-neutral dark fiber system, with local private provider GWI offering retail services. 

The Clackamas Broadband eXchange is serving both urban and rural communities, including the cities of Milwaukie, Oregon City, Gladstone, Damascus, Boring, Sandy, Estacada, Colton, Molalla, and Canby. Extensions of this initial "fiber ring" have also brought broadband to Government Camp and Wilsonville.

The program has been a great public resource for many of the public agencies in the county who have connected. The network has allowed these public agencies, which depend on reliable access to the internet for ongoing operations, to save critical dollars that can now be used for other services.

Some examples:

• Colton School district now pays $255 per month for Internet. Before CBX, they were quoted $10,000 per month. This has freed up revenue to hire more teachers and procure additional computer equipment for classrooms. 
• Lake Oswego School District recently connected their ten schools to the CBX fiber, saving approximately $301,000 per year.
• Clackamas County offices save $125,000 per year.
• Clackamas County Fire District One is saving $130,000 per year.
• Clackamas Community College is saving $25,000 per year.
• Local sewer districts are saving $27,000 per year.