Whidbey Telecom may take Net north

The apparent lethargy of Whidbey Island’s largest telecommunications provider might mean the smallest and most innovative telephone company could expand its service area as far as Coupeville in the near future.

In a 45-minute presentation before the Island District Economic Development Council Wednesday, representatives from Verizon and Whidbey Telecom laid out their future plans for providing high-speed Internet and other telecommunications services on the island.

During the session, it was made plain that Verizon has no immediate plans to bring better Internet service to Coupeville and other North Whidbey regions in its service territory. At the same time, Whidbey Telecom is possibly poised to head north with a wireless Internet service called wireless fidelity or WiFi which provides fast, wireless Internet service to desktop and laptop computers.

The differences in the Internet service available to North and South Whidbey residents became evident during a of the Island County Economic Development Council Wednesday. The meeting featured a 45-minute presentation about the future of telecommunications on Whidbey Island, titled “Whidbey plugged in: What does our future hold?” The talk drew representatives from Whidbey Telecom and Verizon.

Verizon’s service territory on north Whidbey Island and Camano Island brings high-speed Internet service to only a few small areas. Whidbey Telecom provides high speed Internet service to all of South Whidbey.

Because of the cost of installing equipment across its nationwide network to handle high speed Internet, Verizon cannot provide the service to parts of North Whidbey, said Marilyn Hoggarth, a Verizon spokesperson. The nationwide company must weigh the purchase and installation of equipment against company income and profit.

“It’s all a capital investment question,” she said.

Her explanation, however, did not satisfy several people at Wednesday’s meeting who expressed frustration over the lack of high speed Internet service on North Whidbey.

“Verizon is five years behind the times,” said Oak Harbor home businessman Dan MacIndoe.

MacIndoe, a sales representative, said a slow Internet connection makes operating his business nearly impossible.

No such complaints came from South Whidbey residents, who have universal access to high-speed, DSL Internet service through Whidbey Telecom.

George Henny, Whidbey Telecom’s chief technology officer, said high speed Internet service is available from Clinton north to an area just south of the Greenbank Farm. Whidbey Telecom’s smaller area of service makes providing area-wide DSL service easier, Henny said. He noted this service plays a vital role for a large number of home-based businesses on South Whidbey.

DSL transfers data at rates of 1.5 megabits per second through phone lines, about 26 times faster than dial-up modem Internet service.

High speed Internet access was one of several telecommunications subjects discussed during a 45-minute presentation and question-and-answer session at the EDC meeting.

Henny and Hoggarth also discussed the future plans their companies have, including bundling Internet and telephone services to simplify billing and reduce customer charges.

Fiber optics, which could provide Internet service 60 times faster than DSL, defines Whidbey Telecom’s future direction, Henny said. In Verizon’s near future, Hoggarth said, the company has requested the Washington Utilities and Transportation

Commission, or WUTC, approve a rate hike that would cost customers an average of $4 per month. That hike, if approved, would take effect in July 2007.

Also during the session, audience members queried about cell phone service on Whidbey Island, and how the companies prepare for disasters.

Verizon looks to break Internet logjam

Hoggarth said she has put several north Whidbey Island communities on the list for high speed Internet service. She did not specifically say which communities. She said rapidly changing technology also makes it difficult to pay for the transmission and receiving equipment needed to transmit broadband services to all the areas in the country Verizon serves. At present, Verizon does not have the equipment to offer DSL more than 3 miles away from its equipment stations, including one in Oak Harbor.

This explanation did not seem to placate audience members. Oak Harbor’s MacIndoe said he may move to a location with faster Internet capability. He said he found it strange that South Whidbey, which has fewer residents than North Whidbey, has high speed Internet universally available.

MacIndoe also said it is often difficult to talk anyone at Verizon about a lack of service.

Michael Thomas, an Admiral’s Cove resident, also asked when Verizon will deliver high speed Internet service to his community, which is located between Greenbank and Coupeville. He noted that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who owns a home in the Admiral’s Cove area, has high speed Internet. Whidbey Telecom’s Henny said Ballmer likely paid to have the service installed independently of Verizon.

When asked about service in Coupeville, Hoggarth said Verizon does not have plans to expand its high-speed service in that area. However, Henny said discussions are underway to bring Whidbey Telecom service to Coupeville.

The future of telecommunications

The future of high speed Internet in South Whidbey is being driven by the general impatience of younger generations, Henny said. They want everything on demand — from Web access to movies and games — and fiber optic cable can provide that kind of speed.

To prepare for to install fiber optic cable, Whidbey Telecom work crews have been burying orange cable casing underground. When the company settles on a plan, it will install the fiber optic cable inside the casing.

The older generation will also benefit from fiber brings, Henny said.

“Simplifying and making your future better,” he said. “To bring a gigabyte to every home.

Both Henny and Hoggarth said they may bring bundled service, such as multiple E-mail accounts and Internet to the homes, as well. Bundled services combines several products at a discounted monthly rate

Future plans for Verizon include faster and more wireless technology than WiFi called Wi max and bundling cell phone and regular telephone services, Hoggarth said.

“Those technologies all have interesting implications for us,” she said.

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