High-speed, fiber-optic broadband is becoming ubiquitous in the rural regions of North Central Washington. The public utility district (PUD) of Chelan County, Wa. has been building fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure throughout its 3,000 square mile radius since 1999. Since Washington state law requires municipalities that offer broadband to lease access to their networks to other Internet service providers, around 15 different ISPs serve much of the county's residents.
Funding: The Chelan County PUD uses innovative methods to finance the construction and operation of its fiber-optic infrastructure. The income generated through wholesaling excess electricity from its three hydroelectric dams [1] to neighboring regions is used to fund the network, as well as some other PUD projects. Residents can receive FTTH for as low as $35 per month depending on the provider. "Triple play" of cable TV, telephone, and Internet is also available, and some providers offer other forms of Internet service, such as broadband over power line, outside of the fiber network.
Management: Chelan County PUD manages the network construction and hookup, and several local Internet service providers [2] sell broadband access to their residents on the network. Based on the amount of funding that gets allocated for network construction each year, the PUD outsources minor projects to various subcontractors on an annual basis as well.
Coverage: In 2007, the Chelan County PUD network offers FTTH service about fifty percent of its residents, or about 20,000 people. A representative of the PUD's IT department says fiber will likely be available to 90% of residents by 2012. A small wireless network is also in operation temporarily in rural regions that are waiting to receive fiber infrastructure.
Quality of service: Customers can sign up to receive broadband at speeds of anywhere from one to over 100Mpbs depending on their needs. Since fiber is wired all the way to the premises, the network supports high-speed, reliable service for subscribers.
State laws: Washington state forbids any municipality planning to deploy a broadband network from selling municipally-owned Internet service on that network. The law does allow municipalities to lease their networks to other providers at a wholesale price. A newer law has now made public utility districts such as Chelan County PUD exempt from this law, but their ability to function as retailers is still limited.
About Chelan County: According to the 2005 census, the county has a total of around 69,000 residents, but only about 40,000 of those are serviced by the Chelan County PUD. The county is largely rural: its residents live in an area of about 3,000 square miles. The median household income in Chelan County is about $38,000.
Additional information:
- Chelan County Public Utility District's fiber optics website [3]
- List of providers servicing the network [4]
- Chelan County, Washington, Hits New Milestone with Fiber Optics [5] - Chelan County PUD