Fiber- Sign Up Now
We had a welcome surprise last Friday when a PUD fiber representative was on our road looking at the areas to be served. In his words the service will be coming to the whole area next summer. The service will be provided to subscribers through several companies- all using the PUD distribution system. Contact information and the services each company provides can be accessed via the link below. Which carrier you choose is up to you. The one I chose and recommend is Local Tel Local Tel Signup Form (detailed instructions below). LocalTel have been my internet provider for years, they offer the full line of service options, have always been very responsive to problems and this company has been very supportive of and helpful to our email group effort to keep people informed of what’s going on here at Lake Wenatchee.
WHICHEVER PROVIDER YOU USE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY AND PLACE YOUR PRELIMINARY SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS SERVICE. It is important that you do to do this soon because when the PUD starts actually running cable they will look at the number of customers already subscribed in determining in what order your street will be served. Those plans are being made now. Subscribing at this point is not a commitment- you will have the option of actually taking the service or not at a later time.
PUD Provider List:
A complete list of all the providers on the PUD network can be found here: PUD Service Providers
Local Tel Sign UP Instructions:
Local Tel has just made available a simplified online process to subscribe to this service. Even if you have previously subscribed, I encourage to do it again by using this simplified process- there is no problem with duplication. It takes about 30 seconds. To use it click on the link below and complete the basic information required. The address you will want to use is the address where the service will be used- not your billing address. In the field for your name, use the first block on that line for your first name and the second block for your last name. Everything else is very straightforward. You will also see there the monthly rates for the various subscription plans and you will be asked to select one of those. We have chosen the Triple Play with some additional television channels, telephone and high speed internet for $91 a month but again that choice can be altered if and when you actually get the service. Once completed and submitted you will receive a confirmation/tracking number of your subscription. The link to that Local Tel subscription page: Local Tel Signup Form
Background on Local Fiber:
Many of you are aware of the effort that was made in recent years to encourage the Chelan County PUD to expand fiber-optic broadband service to the Lake Wenatchee/Plain area. That effort was successful- in June 2007 the PUD board voted to continue the fiber build-out and directed that the expansion prioritize rural areas of the county where other providers have not brought the service and specifically designated the Lake Wenatchee/Plain area, the Entiat Valley and Blewett Pass. We are excited about this because the service will bring us telephone, cable television and high speed internet in a bundled service package at significantly less cost than we are paying for those services separately at this time.
If you have any questions please post them as a comment to this article, call me at 509-763-3445 or email me at gwwilson@nwi.net.
George