Fiber-Optic Access Now Available To 25,000 In Chelan County, WA

Wenatchee, WA - Chelan County Public Utility District announced recently that fiber-optic access is now available to more than 25,000 homes, businesses, schools and hospitals throughout Chelan County, a rural county in north central Washington state. The District began construction of the fiber network in 1999 and the work continues. The plan is to bring fiber access to 95 percent of the public utility district's (PUD's) home and business customers, about 40,000 premises by 2012.

In 2008, the District increased building to the more remote areas of Lake Wenatchee and Plain, north of Leavenworth in the east foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Total capital construction on the wholesale fiber network throughout Chelan County is expected to be $12.5 million for 2008.

This innovative fiber-optics network showcases a collaborative effort by public and private entities to construct and maintain this rural community network that covers 3,000-square-miles. Seventeen retail service providers offer a competitive choice for high- speed Internet, television and telephone service over the District's fiber network. So far, more than 7,500 end-users have taken advantage of the access to connect to the network through authorized retail fiber service providers.

Chelan County PUD serves about 43,000 customers, providing essential utility services including affordable electricity, water and sewer. Now, through local service providers, it also offers affordable, wholesale fiber- optic telecommunications services. For more information about the PUD's fiber network and for a complete list of service providers, visit http://www.chelanpud.org/fiber .

SOURCE: Chelan County Public Utility District