Broadband comes to west side of Hood Canal

Mason PUD 1 and Hood Canal Communications have partnered to provide broadband service to customers on the west side of the Hood Canal from near the Hamma Hamma River to Brinnon.

The Hood Canal-101 Broadband Project affects 117 residents and businesses who have not had access to broadband services, even with cellular devices. The only options have been satellite or Verizon.

The Hood Canal-101 Broadband Project was made possible when the Community Economic Revitalization Board in September 2021 approved a $797,040 grant from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund to Mason PUD 1. The project created about 4 miles of fiber along U.S. Highway 101 that includes Eldon, Beacon Point, Triton Point and Brinnon. Hood Canal Telephone Co. is the internet service provider. The CERB money was matched by $199,260 in local money.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Mason PUD 1 General Manager Kristin Masteller described the project as "a huge public/private partnership." She thanked CERB and Mason County Commissioner Kevin Shutty for the commission's help getting funding, and also praised the efforts of community partners that include Jefferson County PUD and Mason PUD 3.

This is the first time PUD 1 has been involved in providing broadband service, Masteller said.

Mike Oblizalo, general manager and vice president of Hood Canal Communications, also spoke at the ceremony.

"We've heard it, the internet is not a luxury anymore - you need it," he said.

In a fact sheet, Mason PUD 1 states, "There are currently no public medical clinics or hospitals in the project area. It is critical for residents to be able to access both emergency and preventative care without having to leave their homes. The expansion of broadband to this area would give residents easier access to all emergency services, allows offices to expand to new locations, and greatly shorten response times ... There are currently no major employers in the area due to lack of broadband."

Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on the Beacon Point property of Jim Boldt, the inaugural customer. He was the first customer who was connected as a test run to test the new network before Hood Canal Communications started connecting others. Mason PUD 1 points out Boldt is well acquainted with public utilities - he ran the Washington PUD Association and consulted with PUDs in communications and government relations. Boldt and his neighbors started the West Canal Community Broadband Group, and for more than a decade lobbied public and private sector utility providers to develop a plan to serve residents in the area.

In a newsletter to customers, Masteller wrote that the grant money from Hood Canal Communications "couldn't reach all of our customers this first round. I also know there are a lot of communities that are still waiting for access and even more customers that have questions about where HCC is serving and when." She recommended people check out the website at http://www.hcc.net and call their office about buildout plans." Mason PUD 1 will continue to work on grant applications and buildout plans, she wrote.