BY PEPPER FISHER
Clallam County – Work has begun to bring world class internet access to thousands of people in Clallam County who currently have little or no service.
Clallam County and Astound are working together right now on a $22 million project to deliver high-speed fiber internet to the underserved rural area west of Port Angeles that basically extends along a 15-mile corridor parallel to Highway 112 out to Joyce.
Astound’s Jared Sonne says, once complete, the project will provide speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second to more than 1,500 homes.
“We are building a state-of-the-art, fiber-optic network, where it will be fiber optic cable all the way to the home for those residents who end up subscribing to our service. So, it’ll be the same level of state-of-the-art service that residents in Seattle can get. And, construction has already started. We’re already making progress, and we expect to be done with the project by the end of 2026.”
The $22.2 million partnership is backed by a combination of funding sources, including $16 million from the Washington State Broadband Office, (which contributed pandemic-era ARPA Recovery Funds), $4.5 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce (more ARPA funds), and $1.7 million from Clallam County.
Clallam County PUD is also key to the project. Astound is, in part, utilizing the PUD’s existing power poles to support the high-speed fiber cables, contributing to project cost savings.
Once construction is complete, Astound and Clallam County have an agreement for Astound to maintain and operate the fiber optic communications network.
How much will it cost new customers to get hooked up?
“We do have some programs that we know will be part of the fee schedule. One is our Internet First program, which is for qualifying, low income households, for $19.99. There will be a range of feed options and a range of price options.”
(Photo provided by Astound)