PUD doing better than expected with fiber

EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD is making more money from its fiber optic network than projected. But fewer people have signed up for its wireless service than anticipated.

Networks manager Warren Miller detailed those and other findings in a report to PUD commissioners at their regular meeting of Aug. 25.

The PUD was supposed to be making about $150,000 on the fiber optic system by mid-2015, according to projections made when the system was set up in 2007. The system actually was $572,747 in the black at the end of June, Miller said.

The PUD builds the system and provides access to Internet service providers (ISP), who provide it to retail customers.

The goal has been to get about 40 percent of potential customers on the system, Miller said. The current participation rate is about 36.5 percent, he said.

The utility has signed up 931 new customers in the first six months, Miller said, which he attributed to more advertising.