HomeMy WebLinkAboutPUD state funding to expand gigabit fiber CoNIss Board of County Commissioners
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„ 1820 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Kate Dean,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
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Apr 25, 2022
Sheila Richardson,
Public Works Board Broadband Program Manager
Olympia,WA
RE: Support for JPUD's PT Business Fiber Project
Dear Sheila,
On behalf of Jefferson County, we am writing to support Public Utility District No.1 of Jefferson County(JPUD)'s
application for low interest loan funding to build symmetrical gigabit fiber service to businesses in the Port Townsend
(PT)area.
Symmetrical gigabit internet over a fiber connection from JPUD would offer our local businesses the fastest, most
reliable and affordable service available in the county. By delivering one gigbit per second uploads as well as downloads,
service over JPUD fiber would eliminate the frequent network congestion and teleconferencing lags that currently
frustrate most area businesses and hinder many. Reliable affordable and publicly owned fiber internet from JPUD would
offer new and enhanced economic opportunities to existing businesses,facilitate the startup of new businesses, and
help attract other businesses to relocate to the PT area.
JPUD has led the county in expanding access to broadband. First in 2014 by utilizing federal grant funding to build a 25-
mile fiber optic network to local anchor institutions;then by partnering with the City, Port, and County to expand
wholesale fiber connections downtown; and most recently by securing$23M in state and federal funds to begin building
fiber directly to thousands of rural residents lacking access to broadband,or in some cases, any Internet at all.
Jefferson County strongly supports JPUD's application for low interest loan funding to build symmetrical gigabit fiber
connections to businesses in the Port Townsend area.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Board of unty Commissioners
Kate ean, Chair Heidi Eisenhour Greg Bro herton
District 1 District 2 District 3
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 'effbocc@co.' ff r e e son.wa.us
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