Chelan PUD Hosts Open Houses on Broadband Network

Feedback from Chelan PUD's strategic planning revealed support for expanding broadband network access to more locations. The open houses will be an opportunity for communities to weigh in on possibilities for future locations to build access next.

"They're all going to be in an open house format," said Mike Coleman, Fiber and telecom managing director. "So folks can come in anytime and there's going to be information on four areas."

Each of the open houses will be from 4:30-6 with several information 'stations' available along with PUD resources to chat with. The first open house is on Tuesday, October 8 at the Leavenworth PUD office followed by an October 9 open house at the Entiat Fire Hall. The final open house is at the Manson Grange Hall on October 10.

"We're going to cover where we are, how do we decide where to build next, how do we provide the best value for the most people for the longest time and then what's next for Fiber," said Coleman.

Currently 76% of Chelan County has access to the PUD's broadband network. By the end of 2025, Chelan PUD plans to reach 85-90% of the county as a Public Power Benefit project.

"We're looking at a number of different solutions and we're also going to investigate how we can speed up the PPB build," said Coleman.