- S20 -

Providing access to innovative fiber technology solutions About In January 2001 the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation developed a Telecommunications Plan for counties throughout Eastern Oregon to address the telecommunications needs of the region and to explore opportunities that would stimulate economic development translating into new opportunities and growth for the commercial and industrial sectors in the area. Specifically the Telecommunications Plans had the following objectives The county Telecommunications plans that were developed out of this process recognized the tremendous social and economic benefit that robust fiber optic networks would bring to the area and offered several recommendations to foster growth in the telecommunications sector. These plans also specifically recommended that intracounty highspeed networks be completed to provide route diversity and connectivity for education health care and industrial usages throughout the region. Under the leadership umbrella of the Port of Morrow Morrow County and Morrow Development Corporation countywide networks were initially developed to serve the local needs of the public sector entities.