As you may have heard, ultra high-speed broadband is coming to Jefferson County in the next two years. This is tremendously exciting news for the area. We will look back on this as one of the most significant public infrastructure projects in Jefferson County’s history.
Congratulations are in order for Team Jefferson, who corralled nearly 30 different public, non-profit, and private agencies into a partnership that produced a compelling grant application to the Feds.
Most of us can’t quite get our heads around the difference that a 20x-60x improvement in internet speed will have on our businesses and our community.
The best answer is: more than you can imagine now.
Stay tuned. The impacts to the area of this project will be profound.
FAQs on Ultra High-Speed Broadband
What’s happening with ultra high-speed broadband?
- $3.2 million is being invested from federal stimulus money to bring ultra high-speed broadband to East Jefferson County – from Brinnon to Port Townsend.
- Ultra high-speed broadband is 20-60 times faster than what we have now; in fact this will be much better than in many cities.
Who made it all happen?
- Team Jefferson, in partnership with the City of Port Townsend, Jefferson County and the Port of Port Townsend, led a coalition of 30 institutions from throughout Jefferson County including schools, utilities, healthcare agencies, libraries, non-profit organizations, the US Navy, Washington State Parks and several private businesses.
- Northwest Open Access Network, Inc. (NoaNet) was formed a decade ago by 12 public utility districts to bring broadband to rural areas. They offer services to retail carriers, cable companies and ISPs. The funds coming to Jefferson County through NoaNet will be used to expand their wholesale network as well as adding additional capacity to their existing network.
When is this happening?
- Ultra high-speed broadband will be coming to the 30 anchor institutions by 2012.
- Roll-out of service to individuals and businesses will begin by 2013.
Why is this a big deal?
- This is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure investment, laying an invaluable foundation for the community to build upon.
- East Jefferson County will leapfrog many U.S. communities in terms of the speed of their internet connection.
- Institutions, businesses and individuals will be able to create and innovate in ways we can barely begin to imagine today.
How will it affect me?
- In 1-2 years, the anchor institutions will be able to offer new programs and improve efficiency.
- In 2-3 years, private ISPs will begin to offer ultra high-speed broadband capabilities to individuals and businesses.
- In addition to boosting speeds on wired connections, wireless will be more readily available and much faster.
- Rural access to ultra high-speed broadband will give East Jefferson County an entirely new way to grow and support jobs.
Quick summary of ultra high-speed broadband and its implications for the future
In the same way that the transition from dial-up to broadband made possible the emergence of online video and countless other applications, ultra high-speed bandwidth will drive more innovation – in high-definition video, remote data storage, real-time multimedia collaboration, and others that we cannot yet imagine. It will enable new consumer applications, as well as medical, educational, and other services that can benefit communities. If the Internet has taught us anything, it’s that the most important innovations are often those we least expect.
