Public Meetings Set On PUD Fiber Options

EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD will hold two public meetings in late April to discuss the future of its fiber optic network. The first is scheduled for 2 p.m., April 25 at the PUD commission meeting room, 30 Southwest C St. in Ephrata. The second will be held at the George Community Hall, 403 West Montmorency Blvd., at 6 p.m., April 27.

“Why George, and who chose George?” asked commissioner Dale Walker.

“George was selected because it’s kind of central to the large area that doesn’t have fiber right now,” said public information officer Chuck Allen. “It’s (also) the largest incorporated town in Grant County that doesn’t have fiber.”

The PUD is also planning to ask customers what they think about fiber and the fiber build-out through a telephone survey, and a survey that will be posted on the PUD website.

Utility district officials are working on an extensive review of the fiber system at the request of PUD commissioners. Commissioners asked for an estimate of the cost of the project and if the wireless program was meeting its goals. Commissioners wanted the information before making decisions on the future of the fiber program.

A study commissioned by district officials to an outside consultant firm showed the fiber network has reached about 70 percent of the county, and that the cost to extend the service to the remaining 30 percent would be more expensive due to the distances involved.

By state law the PUD is restricted from selling fiber access directly to customers; it sells to internet service providers (ISP) who in turn serve retail customers. Chief Financial Officer John Janney said the rate charged to ISPs will be increased by $3 per month if the fiber network is expanded to the rest of the county.

Utility district officials did a “rate impact analysis” to determine if and or how continuing the fiber buildout would impact the PUD’s overall finances, and what the impact on electric rates would be as a result.

Janney said the analysis was based on three separate criteria: a lot of users, a few users, and an option in between. Electrical could be raised by an estimated 2.7 percent to 4.6 percent, dependent on which option exercised.

“Is that a one-time thing? Or is that an annual thing?” commissioner Larry Schaapman asked of the impact on rates. Janney said the idea is to generate a specific amount of money for the fiber program during the period analyzed, which was 30 years. So the rate increase, whatever it is, would be part of the rates for at that time period.

The current buildout plan, Janney said, may not reach all PUD customers as it’s based on location and how much it will cost the PUD to extend the service. He asked commissioners to think about what the PUD should do in the case of customers in remote locations. “Is there a cutoff point where it’s too far, too much?” he asked.

The PUD’s wireless program was also analyzed, and with the current technology, would be more expensive to maintain than to continue to build the fiber network, Janney said.