The City announced the HiLight name for its affordable high-speed internet service in March 2019.

“Hi” represents Hillsboro and sends a friendly hello to the community. “Light” is a nod to the fiber optic technology that will connect HiLight customers to lightning-fast gigabit speeds.  

The City's key reasons include:

• Essential access: Many people don't have low-cost access to high-speed internet, particularly low-income families. This negatively affects their lives and their ability to connect with the rest of the community.
• Affordability: Internet access can be within reach for all customers, which will increase equity within our community.
• Cost savings: HiLight customers can save money on this essential service.
• Students: Internet access will help boost learning, improve homework effectiveness, and maximize potential achievements for Hillsboro students.
• Businesses: HiLight high-speed internet service can better position Hillsboro's businesses to be competitive, and to attract and retain talent.
• Community: When more people have internet connectivity, our community members will be more engaged and connected with each other.
• Smart City opportunities: The City can pursue innovative strategies to optimize traffic, energy, utilities, parking, and community WiFi.
• Net neutrality: HiLight internet service will be free from the commercial pressure that restricts or redirects users and their internet traffic.
• Customer service: With HiLight, the City will deliver the outstanding customer service that Hillsboro customers expect.

HiLight is currently available in the Southwest area of Hillsboro in the neighborhoods near Shute Park and historic Downtown Hillsboro.

HiLight is also available in the area immediately east of 10th Avenue (Avenida Diez) and north of TV Highway, as well as in most of the developed areas of the South Hillsboro neighborhood.

The City’s goal is for everyone to have access to high-speed fiber broadband, safe and secure managed Wi-Fi, and crystal-clear digital voice at reasonable rates. It will take some time for us to build the network for you. The best way to find out where we are now is to check out our availability map.

 Order online or you can give us a call at 503-693-4400 and we’ll get you started. 

 HiLight offers lightning-fast fiber optic technology — straight to your home. For price details to meet your specific needs, please check out our Rates and Services page.

No. HiLight does not require a deposit for services. 

Standard Installation of residential service for an unwired home is $100.00. If you sign up within the first three months of an area’s activation, we will waive the installation fee. Installation of a previously HiLight-wired home is $50.00. Installation charges for commercial accounts vary.

Our economic-based internet program called Bridge will provide the same one Gigabit speed and Wi-Fi Management for $10 dollars per month.

Hillsboro residents may be eligible for the Bridge program if they meet established income-based qualifications or if they are already qualified for other support services. You can find more details on our Bridge page.

Symmetrical speeds mean you can upload just as fast as you download, providing efficient and reliable communications.

No. HiLight will not provide you with a new email address. There are a large number of free email services available that can provide you with an email domain and address (ex. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and others). View a list of email providers.

HiLight does not offer an anti-virus service or endorse any particular provider.

HiLight does offer ProtectIQ as part of its optional Wi-Fi Management Service. ProtectIQ is a network-level security application that works quietly in the background and proactively keeps malicious websites, viruses, and intrusions away from your home 24-7. Your data and assets are shielded from hostile activity over the internet with ProtectIQ protecting your home network.

Watch a video about ProtectIQ

No, your HiLight service will include an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) which will allow you to receive the service. HiLight will also make available a Wi-Fi gateway as part of the optional Wi-Fi Management Service, or you may choose to use your own wireless router.

Yes. If you choose, you can purchase and use your own Wi-Fi router/gateway, but make sure your devices support the latest Wi-Fi standards. 

For the best Wi-Fi experience use at the minimum Wi-Fi 5 “802.11ac” or we recommend Wi-Fi 6 “802.11ax” — especially for the internet speeds we will offer. 

However, if you would like for us to do all the work in getting your wireless network configured and set-up, you may choose our optional Wi-Fi Management Service. 

HiLight’s optional Wi-Fi Management Service makes things easy. It is the solution for customers looking for HiLight to facilitate their in-home Wi-Fi experience, and includes:

• A Wi-Fi 6 dual-band (2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz) enabled Gateway that sends Wi-Fi throughout your home with one Ethernet port for the option of direct connectivity.
  
  
• Assistance from a professional HiLight technician with facilitating W-Fi connectivity of other wireless devices in your home
  
  
• Assistance with setting up your network name and passwords, and managing Wi-Fi security (SSID, WPA, password encryption, etc.)
  
  
• Assistance with setting up the HiLight Smart Home mobile application
  
  
• Timely response for Wi-Fi related service issues within your home
  
  

HiLight customers also receive access to:

• The HiLightIQ App that allows you to control your home network
  
  
• ProtectIQ! ProtectIQ is a network-level security application that works quietly in the background and proactively keeps malicious websites, viruses, and intrusions away from your home 24-7. Your data and assets are shielded from hostile activity over the internet with ProtectIQ protecting your home network. 

Watch a video about ProtectIQ

Our wireless gigabit gateway meets or exceeds the performance of equipment that other providers offer. It supports broadband connectivity within your home and distributes voice and data services.

HiLight’s Wi-Fi Management Service is not an equipment charge. It is a multi-faceted service that includes user support. Learn more about Wi-Fi Management Service.

No. Currently, we do not have a data cap on our internet service, and we have no plans to add a cap later.

No. Consistent with the principles of Net Neutrality, HiLight does not throttle speeds. Users are expected to abide by the appropriate use provisions of our subscriber Service Agreement. Abuse that impacts other users will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about the appropriate use restrictions, please visit HiLight Service Agreement Terms and Conditions. 

HiLight’s unlimited digital voice service includes nationwide calling, including Canada. You can see International Long Distance Rates for calling other countries on our Rates and Services page.

Yes. If you are switching your telephone provider within the same telephone rate center and want to keep your current number, we will contact your current telephone provider and “port” (or move) your number to HiLight. 

When you move from a different rate center, it is not possible to keep the same number. (Ex: If you move from California to Oregon, or Gresham to Hillsboro). 

Hillsboro is within the Beaverton rate center, which encompasses many of the communities in Washington County.

The ability to port your phone number within the same rate center is protected under the Federal Communications Commission’s “local number portability” rules and can be done between wireline, IP, and wireless providers. Once you request service from a new company, your previous company cannot refuse to port your number within the same rate center, even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee.

You can find a list of all the calling features and to how to make changes in the Residential Voice Subscriber Guide. 

Customer Proprietary Network Information, or CPNI, refers to a very specific set of privacy regulations governing telecommunication providers and enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). CPNI provides some of the strongest consumer privacy protections in federal law.

Read the HiLight Privacy Policy

HiLight customers can access and review their account information at MyBroadbandAccount.

Yes. HiLight offers both internet and digital voice services to businesses. For more information about HiLight for business, please contact us at 503-693-4450 or Support@GoHiLight.com.

The Hillsboro School District (HSD) is collaborating as a partner with the City to expand its fiber network and connect every HSD school to the shared network in spring 2019.

Other existing fiber is owned by private companies, which have exclusive rights to use those resources. The City does not have the right to use fiber cabling that is owned by other providers.

Fiber optic is a type of high-speed broadband Internet transmission technology made out of thin strands of glass, known as fiber. Many consider fiber optics a better technology because you can send large volumes of information over longer distances. This allows you to stream videos, play games online, and view your favorite websites without slowing down. Fiber Internet speeds will be dependent upon the level of your subscription. 

You can check out the advantages of fiber optics and HiLight at our home page.

HiLight’s entire network utilizes fiber optic technology, including running fiber optic lines from the street directly to your home in a design known as Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH). 

Other providers utilize fiber optics in their network design too, but run coaxil cables several thousand feet ("the last mile") from a node to your home. 

In addition to delivering the superior service experience of an end-to-end, all fiber connection, the HiLight network is supported with dedicated and knowledgeable local support.

Get more information about the advantages of fiber optics and HiLight at our home page.

Your installation is accomplished in steps:

Locates. If you receive your utilities from underground line, locates — the marking of the facilities with temporary paint — are required. No one needs to be home. 

Pre-Installation. A crew will come to your home and extend the fiber — either overhead or underground — to the side of your home. No one needs to be home. 

Premise Installation. A technician will come into your home and finish the inside wiring of the fiber, and install an Optical Network Terminal, or ONT. We require someone authorized and over the age of 18 to be home for this appointment. 

Learn more about what to expect with the installation process.

No. After you place your order with HiLight, we will take care of calling for locates. The utilities will send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground utility lines. Locate crews will generally arrive within a couple days after your order is placed. 

Whenever possible, trained and skilled operators will utilize machinery that is specifically designed to effectively and cleanly bury a fiber optic drop line to the side of the home at an approximate depth of 12”. In circumstances where hand trenching may be necessary, the depth may vary.

HiLight does not require written permission from the landlord. However, we recommend you check your lease agreement or contact your landlord if you are unsure about what is permitted in your rental property. 

Yes. HiLight will provide service to apartments and condominiums, but first we will need to secure a signed Right-of-Entry agreement from the property owner and/or homeowners association (HOA) that will allow us to wire their buildings for services. 

If we are burying fiber lines in a lawn or landscaped beds, our crews will carefully trench in the lines and restore the affected area. Every premise installation will be different. HiLight is committed to restoring landscaping to its prior state. 

Find out more on what to expect with an underground installation.

The HiLight fiber optic lines will generally be placed in the same areas as your other utility lines (cable, phone, electricity, etc.). If your utilities are generally overhead on utility poles, the HiLight fiber lines will likely be placed aerially as well.  

If your other utilities are underground, you can expect that our HiLight fiber optic lines will be buried underground within the public Right-Of-Way (ROW) or Public Utility Easement (PUE) that is reserved on or near your property. In addition to the fiber lines themselves, other network components, including cabinets and smaller "flower pots" may be placed within the PUE or ROW as well.

Billing statements are emailed to customers on the 1^st of each calendar month.

Not at this time. Currently, only emailed, electronic billing statements are available. 

Bills will be due on the 20^th of every month. 

HiLight customers can access and review their account information at MyBroadbandAccount.

If your service has been suspended because of a delinquent payment, you will need to pay the full amount due in order to have services turned back on. The quickest and easiest way to pay your bill is online or by calling our customer service line at 503-693-4400. 

No. HiLight does not charge a fee for accepting payment over the phone.

Yes. You can pay in-person at the Hillsboro Civic Center at 150 East Main Street in Downtown Hillsboro.

Business hours are 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday. 

If your monthly payment is not received by the due date and your account becomes delinquent, a $5.00 Late Payment fee will be assessed on the 29^th of the month. You may call HiLight customer service to see if payment arrangements can be made to prevent service interruption. If payment is not received by Day 45, service may be suspended.

HiLight will require the following to be paid at the time the initial service order is placed:

• A partial month of service for the remainder of the current month.  (Depending on when service is connected, new customers may be partway through a billing cycle)
• Your first full month of service billed in advance for the next month.
• Any other one-time charges that may apply. (Example: Installation)

Learn more about HiLight’s Payment Policy.

Unlike other service providers, there are no additional, incremental fees or taxes associated with the HiLight internet services. 

HiLight will pay the same 7% City right-of-way fee that other service providers in Hillsboro do, but has chosen to not add it above and beyond the service rate as an incremental fee. For clarity and ease, it is already included in customers’ monthly pricing.

HiLight and HiLight voice subscribers will be subject to the same state and federal fees and taxes that are specific to phone service. These include charges for e911, the federal Universal Service Fund, and others. These fees/taxes will be itemized and assessed in addition to the monthly voice service rate.

Before calling for technical support, you might try these quick fixes for common issues:

• Make sure all appropriate devices (your computer and/or router, power strips, etc.) are plugged into a power source and turned “on.”
• Make sure your computer (if you are not using a wireless router) is plugged into the Ethernet wall outlet or your router (if you are using a wireless network) is plugged into the ONT, as well as a power source.
• Restart your computer and (if using a wireless network) reboot your wireless router.
• Make sure your firewall software (especially newly installed firewall software) is configured properly and not blocking your Internet access.
• Be aware that a wireless network must be secured or others outside of your home will be able to access and use it, which can drain your speed performance. Check your network security settings and enable password protection on your home’s network so that only authorized users can access it.
• Use the HiLightIQ app and verify that the network is up and running in the app dashboard.

A simple reboot to your ONT/GigaSpire BLAST gateway could save you a call to tech support.

Make sure to follow the order listed to turn the equipment off and back on in a particular sequence.

1. Shut down the device you are using (your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) to connect to the Internet.
2. Unplug your wireless gateway, modem, or router from the electrical outlet and leave it unplugged for at least 10 seconds.
3. Check for loose cables or connectors.
4. Plug it back into the electrical outlet and wait 30 seconds.
5. Turn your computer (or other device) back on and try reconnecting to the Wi-Fi connection.

If this does not resolve your internet connection issue, call HiLight technical support at 503-693-4400.

The speeds offered by HiLight are delivered to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) provided with your service. But, there are a number of other factors than can affect the speeds you receive, including:

Hardware — Your internet speed is significantly impacted by your network equipment, such as the Wi-Fi router or cabling, the age of the computing equipment and the Operating system you are using, as well as the amount of memory available in your hardware.

Devices — The number of users or devices connected to the internet at the same time in the same location will sometimes cause the speeds to slow down when use is heavy. You might need to upgrade your internet speed to support the number of users in your household depending on your needs, but for most customers 1 Gig (1000 Mbps) is more than enough to support multiple users/devices.

Each connectable device has its own manufactured maximum speed capacity. Check your device's manual for that limit. 

For wireless devices, please check your device documentation for the "max sync rate." This is the maximum speed your device is capable of running, excluding any other factor that my impact speed capabilities.

Most modern Ethernet connections are capable of handling gigabit speeds, and you'll find those on plenty of laptops and nearly all desktops today. The best speeds possible on your PC are accomplished with a direct Ethernet connection, rather than via Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, Ethernet ports are getting harder to find on laptops, and phones have no options for wired connectivity.

The latest Wi-Fi standards can get you a full gigabit connection to your smartphone or laptop, but it's highly unlikely that you'll ever hit that full capacity during normal use. 

Any device that can connect to the internet will work with gigabit internet, since it dictates only the speeds coming to and from your home. All of your connected devices benefit, because a gigabit connection is like a multilane freeway, with plenty of data for every device to use at once.

Funding for the construction of the HiLight network and near-term operations is coming from a variety of available sources, which does not impact funding for city public works or other city financial needs. Over the long term, customer/user generated revenue is expected to cover the costs of on-going HiLight operations

The project will not affect funding for sidewalks and roads. Using a "dig-once" strategy, the City will ensure conduit, or pipe that will house the fiber cables, is installed whenever roads are dug up — saving money and extending the life of our streets and sidewalks. The conduit is a City asset that will retain its value.

The internet is an essential utility. People without access are at a disadvantage — and no one should be left out. City-provided internet service would be net neutral, eliminating the commercial pressure that restricts or redirects users.

The City provides other essential services, like Fire, Police, and Water. Historically, private companies ran those services — and municipal services are safer, more affordable, and more effective. In addition, expanding the City-owned fiber network creates other Smart City connections only the City can provide.

As a municipal corporation, Hillsboro can raise the bar for service delivery — and our entire community will benefit.

WiFi service is in place in Downtown Hillsboro and the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, home of Hillsboro Stadium and Ron Tonkin Field. 

With an expanded fiber network, the City will have more opportunities to provide WiFi throughout the community. The City continues to look at additional locations where it could expand WiFi service.

Funding for the construction of the HiLight network and near-term operations is coming from a variety of available sources designated for community projects.  The first year of funding was the fiscal year 2018–2019 budget, which the Council adopted in June 2018. Over the long term, customer generated revenue is expected to cover on-going HiLight operational costs.

The expectation is that as the network and customer base grows, all operations will be funded by revenue from HiLight users.

Hillsboro is focused on what is best for our community and its residents. The City recognizes broadband internet is an essential service. 

The community is best served by healthy competition, which can increase service options, lower prices, and boost connectivity speeds for neighbors and businesses. With HiLight, the City of Hillsboro expects to deliver faster internet speeds at affordable monthly rates.

Besides delivering world-class residential and business internet and voice services, the HiLight broadband network will provide the community with a robust and versatile fiber optic infrastructure. This will provide Hillsboro with the foundation for hundreds of innovative, cost-saving “Smart City” initiatives and applications in the future.

Unlike private sector service providers, HiLight keeps your money in the community. When you subscribe to HiLight, you are not only getting great products and service, but you are also investing in the community.

Additionally, the City of Hillsboro looks forward to providing the exceptional customer service that residents expect.

Other service providers will continue to operate and deliver services within Hillsboro. With HiLight, the City of Hillsboro will offer residents and businesses another choice.

The City already:

• Manages $1.5 billion in infrastructure assets
• Runs utilities, networks, and essential services, like Water, Fire & Rescue, and Police
• Runs a fiber network that connects schools, City buildings, and traffic signals
• Strives to provide outstanding customer service

City staff are working with national experts who have helped other cities roll out similar systems. More than 80 U.S. cities have successfully built and launched municipal fiber optic broadband systems for their residents.

The small team that has been selected to specifically operate HiLight has more than 195 years of collective broadband experience in the private sector, across the full spectrum of functions.