Why Long-Term Partnerships Matter in Digital Infrastructure
February 11, 2026Five Years of Partnership. One Principle: Communities Deserve to Secure Their Digital Future.
Broadband and digital infrastructure decisions are among the most complex choices local governments can face. They touch economic development, education, healthcare, public safety, housing and long-term fiscal sustainability – often all at once.
For almost five years, SNG has worked with the City of Hermiston (Oregon) on identifying broadband gaps, assessing needs and planning the future of broadband infrastructure because the city understands a fundamental truth: ensuring that broadband infrastructure connects everyone requires consensus, credible data and a long-term view.
SNG’s role in this process has been to help local leaders, elected officials, staff, anchor institutions and stakeholders build a shared vision about why broadband matters and how communities can move forward responsibly. That includes identifying ways to aggregating existing telecommunications budgets, developing public-private partnerships, and if needed self-funding broadband, rather than trying to create new budget through taxation, applying for grants (none seen forthcoming) or risk defaulting from unsustainable debt.
Over time, the partnership with SNG has allowed Hermiston to build institutional knowledge, helping them to understanding that it is not just the technology, but the economics, the demand drivers and the community impacts behind these digital infrastructure decisions.
In the here and now, SNG’s partnership continues to define the path by which the cities of Hermiston and Umatilla can pursue to deliver robust, competitive broadband to all city residents and businesses.
That’s exactly why the Cities of Hermiston and Umatilla recently launched a Broadband eCheckup, a structured broadband market assessment study collecting granular data about connectivity, usage, gaps and priorities from households, organizations and businesses
The eCheckup study is part of the ongoing effort by these cities to assess the current and potential demand for broadband, while they work to ensure broadband infrastructure is available for the benefit of all residents and businesses in the community.
With close to five years of building a trusted working relationship and such an important community decision to make, continuity matters. Digital infrastructure is not a one-cycle or one-term issue. Communities that succeed are those that treat broadband as a long-term asset tied to local priorities, not something that is outside their mandate.
At its core, this SNG partnership reflects a shared belief: communities cannot afford to expect outside parties to ensure their future. With the right data, planning and guidance, they can take ownership of their digital future – confidently, efficiently and based on their individual needs.
