Help us bring broadband to the Olympic Peninsula
04/05/2021 - WCCBP - ~2 Minutes
It’s been more than five years since a small group of neighbors got together to see how to get internet to Brinnon and parts nearby. After we started advocating for service, North Olympic Data Centers built the network we planned! (If you haven’t heard, you can check availablity and sign up here .
We’re re-launching our group in 2021, as it’s shaping up to be a big year for broadband on the entire peninsula. The pandemic showed our local PUDs and the entire government why access matters, and how big the divide is between towns and rural areas.
Locally, Jefferson County’s PUD is getting serious about building a broadband network. The state is changing laws that banned many PUD and community projects (laws written by the big telephone and cable companies.) At the federal level, $9.2B was spent last year funding rural access, with much more likely on its way. Rumors are that more than $100B will be spent this year.
With all of the activity, we’re still at risk of being forgotten. The county’s plans only go where people already have one or more choices, and stop at Quilcene. To the south, our Mason County neighbors are left in the dark above the Hama Hama Oyster Company. Many others don’t have affordable choices. We need our collective voices to help guide all of the investment that’s coming!
To learn more, bookmark this page, join our email list, and please participate in our survey!
-Robert, Phil, and Jim