Fiber and Telecom

Fiber and Telecom Benefits of Public Power

Stats below are from 2014

• The PUD fiber network transports cable TV, plain old telephone service and internet data services.
• The core network system has about 100 Gbps of capacity, the equivalent of 20,000 HD movies streaming simultaneously.
• Information is transmitted over fiber optics by light—and the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second. This is 186,000 miles per second or about 671 million miles per hour!
• 29,903 premises have access to the fiber system and 12,434 premises are connected to one or more types of service (phone, internet, video) through Local Service Providers.

Info for Customer-owners

• Your PUD is not limited to fiber when it comes to serving the telecommunications needs of Chelan County residents. However, fiber optics technology does offer high speed and reliability, making it the preferred choice among many customer-owners.
• Building out a fiber network does not ensure participation. "Take rate" is different from "premises passed," and your PUD evaluates both when considering build-out plans.
• PUDs are not allowed to offer retail telecom services (sold directly to users)—only wholesale (sold to service providers who in turn provide retail service).
• Unlike with electricity, PUDs do not have a local monopoly on telecom—they must compete with private sector providers.

2014 Recommendations for Strategic Investment

As part of the process leading up to the 2015 strategic plan, a working group of community members and PUD employees created a set of recommendations for investment in fiber and telecommunications benefits. Their report is available as a PDF file at the link below.