Moses Lake chamber asks for better fiber connections

PUD rep says issue to improve within 30 days

EPHRATA — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce requested the Grant County Public Utility District provide some much needed improvements to the city's fiber optic system connection to the main hub in Ephrata, following Quincy's high-profile success luring Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! to town.

In a letter dated May 5 and addressed to the district's board of commissioners, chamber president Jacie Daschel said the city needs the improvements as soon as possible, hoping they will boost economic growth.

"It has come to our attention that one of the obstacles to attracting new businesses to Moses Lake is the capabilities and capacity of our fiber connection to the main hub in Ephrata," Daschel wrote. "Further growth requires additional fiber capacity to our city."

Daschel said the improvements needed are relatively inexpensive in relation to the benefit to existing fiber customers and new and residential customers.

"The importance of reliable high speed Internet connections cannot be overstated, and these improvements must be placed high in the PUD's priority list for capital spending," she wrote.

The utility expects to have Moses Lake's fiber optic system connection to Ephrata improved in the next 30 days, said district spokesperson Sarah Morford.

"We are aware of a capacity issue between Moses Lake and Ephrata," Morford said Thursday.

She called it a "strand inventory management issue," explaining it's mostly connected to the allotment or usage of the particular fiber strands. The district has not received complaints related to the issue.

She was not sure what the cost would be to the district to address the issue.