High-speed Broadband Expansion Gets Underway Across Washington State

TACOMA, Wash., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Open Access Network (NoaNet) announced today construction is underway on a massive expansion of broadband that will bring nearly a thousand miles of high-speed broadband Internet service to nearly every unserved community in Washington State.  

NoaNet is initiating construction on two federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grants totaling $140 million to bring high-speed Internet access to hundreds of schools, hospitals, emergency response agencies, libraries, colleges and universities across Washington state and to lay the ground work for bringing affordable broadband service to thousands of businesses and households.

NoaNet's broadband network serves as the main "information highway" for the state, enabling telecommunications providers to connect with it to provide Internet service to local communities and organizations.

"This broadband initiative will create immediate jobs during construction and attract economic investment to rural areas that have struggled from limited access to broadband," said Greg Marney, Chief Executive Officer of NoaNet.

Remote areas often have only the most rudimentary capabilities needed to share critical information among fire fighters, police, hospitals and first responders.  Additionally, businesses are reluctant to relocate or expand in areas not served by broadband.

"I'm so glad that the work to expand broadband access to rural communities across Washington state is now underway," said Senator Murray. "The work that NoaNet is doing is a major step forward in ensuring that a person's ZIP code won't limit their access to learning, high-quality health care, or a chance to grow a small business."

The new broadband service will make life-saving enhanced 911 services available to virtually every inhabited location in the state.  The ability to transfer real-time data over wireless networks will allow EMTs to communicate with hospital physicians en route from injury sites, dramatically improving response times when receiving medical treatment in the "golden hour" after injury improves chances of survival by 90 percent.

The new broadband infrastructure will create a seamless network reaching more than 170 communities and 2,000 schools, hospitals, emergency responders, libraries, colleges and universities, including:

• Connecting 34 community colleges creating opportunities for collaboration on research and information exchange.
• Making remote diagnoses, enhancing professional training with reduced travel, and making it possible to provide immediate assessment and guidance to emergency workers via videoconferencing.
• Enabling businesses to use credit/debit card systems, automated inventory and fulfillment systems, and web sales that are not currently available or extremely limited today.
• Giving farmers the ability to participate in commodities trading – a key competitive disadvantage to the family farmer.

About NoaNet

NoaNet is leading the effort on behalf of a consortium of more than 60 private, governmental, tribal and non-profit participants.  NoaNet is a non-profit mutual corporation providing wholesale telecommunications transport and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.  For more than 10 years, it has operated a reliable public open-access broadband communication network totaling  1,831 fiber miles that provides rural areas access to broadband services, supporting 61 last mile providers that serve more than 260,000 customers.  NoaNet's members are twelve public utility districts and a joint operating agency that have served wholesale customers in Washington State since 2000.

For More Information
Paul Bergman (206) 652-9506
[email protected]

SOURCE NoaNet

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