Rock Island Communications – Celebrating 10 Years of Broadband in San Juan County

Published in the June 2025 edition of Ruralite Magazine

Ten years ago, San Juan County residents struggled with limited and outdated internet access. With average download speeds of just 2.5Mbps, residents were stuck with barely usable internet – if they had access at all. The county’s remoteness, scattered population, and rocky terrain made traditional broadband investments unattractive to large providers. Then, in November 2013, disaster struck: a break in Century Link’s undersea cable shut down all landline phone service – including 911 – and DSL internet service. The communications blackout highlighted the vulnerability of the islands’ infrastructure and forced local leaders to take matters into their own hands.

In response, the board of directors of OPALCO passed a pivotal resolution: “Our island communities are suffering economic damage and safety issues caused directly by inadequate phone and internet infrastructure. Therefore, OPALCO shall accelerate expansion of our local member-owned robust, reliable high-speed data infrastructure to provide internet, phone, and emergency communications services to our members.”

To make this ambitious vision a reality, OPALCO created a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary in 2015: Island Network LLC. That same year, Island Network acquired Rock Island Technology Solutions, a local company that had been in business in Friday Harbor since 1994. The new entity, rebranded as Rock Island Communications, began the enormous task of building a communications network from the ground up – one that would deliver true broadband with scalability, redundancy, and local management.

The initial challenges were significant. Broadband infrastructure across the islands was practically nonexistent, and the cost and complexity of trenching through rugged terrain made expansion daunting. But the team at Rock Island found creative ways forward, introducing a “Fiberhood” model; neighborhood-based groups of homeowners who coordinated installations to share construction costs. This community-driven model helped reduce barriers and speed up deployment. Rock Island also invested $1500 toward every connection, an offer that stands today. The first Fiberhoods – Eagle Lake, Cape San Juan and Spring Point – proved the model worked, and more neighborhoods followed.

Aware that bringing fiber to every corner of the archipelago would take years and people needed service quickly, Rock Island also sought more immediate solutions. Partnering with T-Mobile, they built the nation’s first Fixed Wireless network, using cellular technology to deliver high-speed, plug & play internet service to rural homes and businesses while the fiber backbone was being built. This hybrid model allowed thousands of islanders to get online quickly, even in areas where laying fiber would take years. This wireless infrastructure also supports communications for emergency services, providing a reliable, modern radio communication system that can withstand the kind of disruption that paralyzed the islands back in 2013.

Today, Rock Island is honored to serve nearly 4,000 customers with fiber optic service and 3,000 with fixed wireless. Over 740 miles of fiber optic cable have been installed, with many more in the design and permitting stages. 2025 will bring significant upgrades to the Fixed Wireless system, expanding capacity and coverage areas.

The impact on the community has been profound. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, Rock Island was able to support hundreds of students suddenly taking classes from home. Telehealth services, remote work, and staying connected with loved ones on the mainland were more accessible than ever before.

Still, gaps remain. Some areas of the county are especially difficult to reach, where long spans of steep rocky terrain make trenching costs soar. OPALCO and Rock Island have been awarded, and continue to pursue, state and federal grants to tackle these larger projects with fiber optic and wireless solutions. The long-term goal remains unchanged: to deliver fast, reliable connectivity to every address in San Juan County.

In an age when broadband is as essential as electricity or clean water, San Juan County is a model for what’s possible when local communities take the lead. What started as a crisis in 2013 has become a story of resilience, innovation, and local self-determination. Thanks to OPALCO, Rock Island Communications, and our collaborative community, San Juan County is no longer in a digital shadow (we’ll keep the rain shadow, though).

If you haven’t looked into getting fiber yet, or if you got a high estimate years ago, it’s a good time to reach out! The fiber network has expanded considerably, so it may be more accessible than you think. You can even finance the cost of your build with OPALCO’s Switch It Up program – pay over time with just 3% interest!