PUD Fiber Internet – Registration-to-Installation

Optical fiber is a hair‐thin strand of glass that uses light instead of electricity to carry a signal. Optical fiber can carry high bandwidth signals over long distances with minimal to no signal loss, and it can provide those signals simultaneously in both directions. Optical fiber can carry a signal at speeds exceeding 100 Terabits per second over 1000 kilometers. The limiting factor to the speed of the transmission is generally the equipment at each end. The PUD will deploy an XGS PON (passive optical network) equipment in the project areas. This technology has the capacity to provide up to 10 Gigabit per second speeds up and down to any home or business in the network.

DSL uses copper lines to deliver internet service over the same network as traditional telephone service. While DSL is theoretically capable of delivering speeds that meet some definitions of broadband (25/3 Mbps), in Jefferson County, the average DSL customers struggles to get internet speeds of 10Mbps down 1Mbps up. Most DSL customers in our county have no other option for wired internet service and struggle to participate in online meetings where higher upload speeds are required.

CABLE internet is delivered over the same copper based coaxial cable that provides cable TV. While cable internet can provide speeds up to 500Mbps down and 20Mbps up, cable internet services are built in what are known as “oversubscription models,” meaning the bandwidth of the signal is split between many customers at the same time. If too many use the service at the same time, the networks become congested, and available speeds per user are greatly reduced. Also, cable networks are designed for television and streaming downloads. Upload speeds over cable are significantly reduced, which when coupled with network congestion, can lead to difficulties participating in 2-way video technologies, such as online meetings, remote learning, telemedicine, or video calls with family during the holidays.

FIBER internet delivers incredibly high speeds both up and down, and is the ideal choice for unimpeded access to all of the benefits of both today’s and tomorrow’s internet service. By installing a fiber to the home or business network, the PUD will provide eligible customers with the best possible internet service for many years to come.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that access to broadband internet is essential. But in rural, geographically isolated Jefferson County, quality high-speed internet is only available in a handful of more densely populated areas. Residents outside of these few areas lack access to internet that allows them to participate successfully in online meetings, remote schooling, and telemedicine. Some lack access to any internet at all, or try to make do with expensive and less reliable satellite or cellular connections.

In order to facilitate access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband internet for all residents in Eastern Jefferson County, the PUD has applied for and received multiple state and federal grants and loans. View the project areas below the FAQs to learn more about where the PUD is building fiber and providing service in the next few years.

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed laws that allowed PUDs to sell RETAIL internet service providers. Previously, PUDs could only sell WHOLESALE access, meaning they could build the fiber to the property, but another business had to come in and turn the internet on and send the bill and collect the payment. RETAIL means PUDs can build a fiber to a home or business and provide the internet service directly to the customer, the same way that it does for water and electric service. Providing RETAIL service means that customers will be guaranteed an affordable, reliable, high-speed service. It also greatly improves the PUD’s ability to recover the costs of building new fiber, especially in rural areas.

The best way to learn more about the PUD’s fiber internet expansion plans is to email specific questions to broadband@jeffpud.org. Our broadband team will respond within one to two business days.

You can also leave a voicemail for the PUD Broadband team by calling: (360) 379-5823. Again, team members should respond within 1-2 business days.

Current project areas were chosen because they lacked access to broadband internet speeds via a wireline connection and because they met the requirements of available funding opportunities.

Depending on material availability and staff capacity, the PUD can build to areas adjacent to fiber already installed by the PUD, but this is a secondary priority to building to grant or loan funded project areas.

In the case of the PT Fiber business project, the impetus was a combination of existing fiber, available low interest loan funding and demand from businesses.

Just because fiber is nearby, doesn’t mean its available. It could be that the fiber is being fully used, and no extra connections can be added. It could also be the case that though you may be able to see PUD fiber from your home or business, but the connection point (also know as the splice point) is blocks to miles away.

The cost of connecting to splice points varies from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars depending on the distance and availability of excess fiber strands. In non-grant funded areas, this cost is currently paid for by the customer. If you are willing to pay the full construction cost, and capacity is available on the fiber line, it is possible the PUD could provide a connection. However, as our priorities are to connect unserved areas and business districts, those projects currently take precedence and it may take some time before the PUD can address or complete a connection to a non-funded on non-priority area.

The PUD’s priority is building to areas that lack broadband speeds, or where strong funding opportunities exist.

Because cable internet provides broadband speeds, and because grant opportunities for building fiber to areas already served by cable providers are very limited, the PUD is not prioritizing building to residential areas currently served with cable internet. While it is possible that the PUD could provide fiber service in areas where cable internet already exists, the customer would have to pay the full cost of installing the connection, generally thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

SIGN UP ONLINE HERE!

Or you can call a Customer Service Representative to help get you on the list at (360) 385-5800 Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30.

GRANT PROJECT AREAS

For most customers located in federal and state grant funded project areas, all costs to build fiber to the home and install the service are covered by the grant, including bringing the fiber optic cable to the outside of the home, and installation of the modem/router. Charges for monthly service still apply, and depend on the internet speed or package requested.

However, to ensure that all of the costs of bringing fiber to a home or business within a project area are covered by the grant, eligible customers must sign up as soon as possible once registration is open. The registration window will remain open until construction is complete, and only the first 60%* will incur no cost for construction and installation. *70% threshold for customers in the East Discovery Bay project area. *65% threshold for customers in SE Jefferson project area.

If demand in a project area is greater than 60%, any customers who sign up after the 60% threshold is met will be able to be connected during the project construction window, but may have to pay a portion of the construction cost. The same is true for customers whose homes or businesses are directly adjacent to grant funded areas. Construction connection costs for post- 60% registration and adjacent areas are currently under review.

LOAN PROJECT AREAS

Areas where construction is funded by a loan will be required to pay a construction charge. Currently our only loan-funded project area is in Port Townsend. All business customers who wish to participate in the PT Business Fiber Project area will be charged $1200 to connect to fiber. There is no threshold for this project area.

UNFUNDED AREAS

Customers who do not live in or are adjacent to eligible federal and state grant or loan funded areas currently have to pay the full cost of construction to receive a connection. Construction connection costs to non-adjacent areas generally run from the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

The PUD operates an open access network. That means that any qualified provider can offer services over the network. The PUD currently works with a handful Qualified Internet Service Providers who offer a variety of prices and packages. Service can also be obtained directly from the PUD.

Service from the PUD: Home internet services from the PUD start at $65/month for 150/150Mbps service and includes a 1Gig WiFi router. We also offer an automatic $20 discount to customers enrolled in our low-income program. 1-Gig home service starts at $75/month. Additional speeds and packages are available.

Business Internet service starts at $100/month for 1/1Gbps speeds and includes a static IP address for PCI compliance and a 1Gbps WiFi router. More info in the Services tab at the bottom of this page.

JPUD will accept registrations for fiber installation to vacant land.

Such properties may be subject to the $750 charge if the take rate threshold is surpassed for a given project area. In that situation, inhabited parcels with existing PUD services would have priority access to the no-charge installation.

Preference may also be given to properties with existing PUD services, such as electric or water, but no serviceable structure.

Grant or loan funded installation is limited to one registration per monthly service.

This means the PUD can build fiber to your home and ADU, or your home and barn/shop, but it does require you have a monthly service for each. If you want to share one service with multiple locations on your property, you will need to pay for the installation of CAT-5 or CAT-6 cable between the structures to connect them. If you are trying to connect a structure very near to your main service location, a WiFi mesh unit may be able to do the job.

1” Schedule 40 conduit is our minimum standard for communications conduit. See attached spec sheet for more information.