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High-speed Internet widely available in Yakima County, official tells leaders [Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.]
[October 18, 2014]

High-speed Internet widely available in Yakima County, official tells leaders [Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.]


(Yakima Herald-Republic (WA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 18--YAKIMA, Wash. -- A few years ago, Internet speeds of 50 megabits per second were only sparsely available in Yakima County.

During a speech Friday, Will Saunders showed that about 91.5 percent of the county can now access speeds of 100 megabits per second and up, well above the national average of 60 percent.

"Eastern Washington has done extremely well through a mix of public and private partnerships," said Saunders, executive director of the Washington State Broadband Office.

Now it's a matter of adopting the technology so it can better benefit everyone, from elementary school students to public safety workers.

"It's not only about having it available, but knowing how to use it," Saunders said.

About 30 business and community leaders attended the luncheon at the Yakima Valley Hotel and Conference Center. The event was organized by the Association of Washington Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, the Central Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Pacific Technology Alliance.



During his speech, Saunders outlined ongoing efforts to take advantage of faster broadband speeds: OneNet/FirstNet, a statewide high-speed broadband network that would enable public safety officials to better communicate with one another, and E-Rate, a nationwide effort to help schools and libraries obtain telecommunication and Internet access at affordable rates.

Saunders also encouraged attendees to form groups to identify and solve broadband issues locally.


He showed how a group in Glenwood, a small and remote community in Klickitat County, gained high-speed Internet access via several providers.

Such groups will be vital with the closure of the Washington State Broadband Office at the end of this month.

The office, which was funded through a five-year grant from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, completed several projects that included creating an interactive and searchable map to show broadband availability in the state and providing grants for local groups.

Saunders, who will work on an open data initiative for the state Office of the Chief Information Officer, stressed local efforts need to continue.

He said that every community has different needs, so it's important for different players, such as public agencies, private Internet providers and citizens, to work together to identify those needs and how to best meet them.

Tom Gurr, executive director of the Pacific Technology Alliance, a nonprofit focused on promoting public policies that enable access to technology, said after the luncheon he was encouraged by the turnout and hopes it will spur new efforts to improve implementation and adoption of broadband.

"What we want to do is start a dialogue," he said.

___ (c)2014 Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.) Visit Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.) at www.yakima-herald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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