Lightcurve Fiber Build Promises Digital Overhaul for Selah

SELAH, WA – January 19, 2026 – Construction crews have broken ground in Selah, signaling the start of a new digital era for the Yakima County community. Lightcurve, a rapidly expanding Washington-based broadband provider, has officially commenced work on a state-of-the-art fiber optic network designed to deliver ultra-high-speed internet to approximately 2,900 homes and businesses. The project promises to bring symmetrical speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps (2 Gbps), a significant leap in connectivity that stands to reshape the area's economic and social landscape.

The investment represents a major upgrade to the region's digital infrastructure, moving beyond the capabilities of older cable and DSL technologies. For residents, this translates to seamless remote work, buffer-free streaming, and reliable access to online education and telehealth services. For businesses, it unlocks new potential for growth, e-commerce, and participation in the global digital economy.

A New Standard for a Growing Community

Selah's current internet market is a mix of technologies, with residents relying on a combination of cable, DSL, satellite, and limited fiber offerings from providers like Spectrum, CenturyLink, and Ziply Fiber. While gigabit speeds are available in some areas, coverage can be inconsistent, and many services are built on asymmetrical networks where upload speeds are a fraction of download speeds—a critical bottleneck for modern applications like video conferencing, cloud backups, and content creation.

Lightcurve's entrance with a widespread fiber-to-the-home network introduces a new competitive dynamic. The company’s symmetrical speed offering, where upload and download capacities are equal, is a key differentiator. This capability is crucial in an economy increasingly dependent on two-way data flow. Studies on the impact of widespread fiber adoption in rural and semi-rural counties paint a compelling picture of the potential benefits. Communities with high fiber adoption have seen significantly higher rates of business growth, self-employment, and per capita income growth.

By providing the foundational infrastructure, the new network directly addresses the growing demands that have become central to modern life. Reliable, high-capacity internet is no longer a luxury but a core utility essential for everything from a student accessing online coursework to a patient consulting with a specialist via telehealth. As Lightcurve builds out its network, it is effectively laying the groundwork for enhanced economic resilience and improved quality of life across the community.

A Blueprint for Connecting Washington

This project in Selah is not an isolated effort but part of a broader, strategic expansion by Lightcurve across Central Washington. The company has a demonstrated track record of targeting communities for fiber upgrades, including recent projects in nearby Ellensburg and other Kittitas County towns like Thorp and Edgemont. This pattern highlights a commitment to bridging the digital divide in both urban and rural areas, often leveraging public-private partnerships to accelerate development.

For its Kittitas County expansion, the company secured a $3.3 million grant from the Washington State Public Works Board, funded by the federal ARPA Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. This type of funding is part of a massive statewide and national push to ensure universal access to high-speed internet. Washington state alone is set to receive over $1.2 billion from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to connect unserved and underserved locations. While the Selah project's specific funding sources were not detailed in the announcement, Lightcurve’s history shows a proficiency in navigating these programs to deliver next-generation infrastructure.

“Selah is a vibrant and active community, and reliable high-speed internet is essential to its continued success,” said Beth Barnes, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Lightcurve Internet. “By expanding our fiber network into Selah, we’re delivering the speed, reliability, and capacity residents and businesses need today, while building infrastructure designed to support the community well into the future.”

This sentiment, combined with a reputation for customer service—including being named 'The Best in Pierce County' by The News Tribune—positions the provider as a significant new player focused on long-term community partnership.

Igniting the Broadband Competition

The arrival of a new, well-resourced fiber provider is set to intensify competition in the Yakima Valley internet market. While incumbent providers like Spectrum and Ziply Fiber already offer high-speed plans, Lightcurve’s extensive build-out will pressure them to respond. This competition typically benefits consumers through more aggressive pricing, enhanced service bundles, and a renewed focus on customer satisfaction.

Competitors may be spurred to accelerate their own infrastructure upgrades. Cable providers may fast-track transitions to newer DOCSIS standards that allow for faster speeds, while other fiber companies could expand their existing footprints to protect their market share. The ultimate winner in this broadband battle will be the Selah consumer, who will gain access to more choices, better technology, and potentially lower prices for superior service.

Construction is now underway, and Lightcurve has stated that service will become available in phases as different sections of the network are completed and activated. Residents and business owners can anticipate a period of transition, followed by the arrival of a powerful new connectivity option that promises to future-proof the community for the digital demands of tomorrow.