The city of Ellensburg is building its own fiber optic network for city and other public services, and wants input from the public as it considers ways it could expand the network beyond public entities. The network utility is meant for city agencies and Central Washington University, but could, theoretically, be expanded to businesses or even residences, potentially putting the city in the cable TV and Internet business.
The city is soliciting citizen comments on telecommunications needs and interests in an online survey at the city’s website. The survey is open through the first week of February. The link is at the city’s home page.
All information from the 30-question survey is for city use only, city staff say.
The city elected to build the network in late 2013 after Charter Communications, who owned a network the city managed for free, moved to change the contract and charge the city for its use.
Building a new network would, the city council decided, provide a better deal.
