Co-op Members Can Sign Up for OPALCO Broadband: Internet and ...

February 25th, 2013

OPALCO?s member engagement effort is just starting and there is plenty of time to ask questions and give feedback on the plan to bring much better Internet plus phone service to 90% of San Juan County. When you?re ready, you can go to www.opalco.com and sign up for broadband services. The Board of Directors has asked for pre-subscription commitments from more than half the membership before agreeing to move forward and build the system, in order to ensure the project will not become a financial burden on the co-op.

What would members who subscribe to OPALCO?s broadband services get? For a total of $90/month per residential household ? about what we?re all paying now ? members would get:

• Much better Internet service (10Mbps+ in rural areas, 50Mbps+ in population centers) designed to accomodate future expansion
• Unlimited local and national long distance phone service using your current phone number and existing phone (international plans also available)
• Wifi access in population centers and at ferry landings

Even if you don?t subscribe or use the Internet, the shared infrastructure will provide critical improvements to our quality of life in San Juan County. This system, because it combines fiber optic and wireless technologies, will:

• Support improvements to our electric system
• Improve public safety communication and service in emergency situations
• Invite cell phone companies to expand coverage in our county while minimizing the impact to our island character.

To learn more about OPALCO?s proposed plan, go to www.opalco.com. The results of OPALCO?s extensive feasibility study, a preliminary coverage map, frequently asked questions, a glossary of terms and links to relevant articles and reference sources are all contained on the website for easy access. In addition, a group of co-op members is now hosting a forum for discussion of the project at www.sjcbroadbandforum.org.

While our member engagement effort gets up to speed, OPALCO is attending community meetings to talk with members ? such as the Council Community Conversations around the county and the town meetings scheduled for Lopez. We are actively looking for opportunities to attend meetings on all of the islands; please invite us to yours.

Over the coming months, OPALCO will host a variety of public meetings and forums to discuss the project, answer questions and hear from members. We believe we have the fundamental building blocks of an excellent plan to build community strength and sustainability. Working together, we can refine the plan and create solutions that will meet our community needs now and into the future.

Please engage with us along the way: read up on the plan; talk with your neighbors; ask questions and share your ideas. And, when you?re ready, please go to www.opalco.com and sign up for broadband services. We need more than half of our members sign up in advance for the project to go forward.

Orcas Power & Light (OPALCO) was founded in 1937 to empower members to improve their quality of life in our rural communities. OPALCO serves about 11,000 member-owners on 20 islands in San Juan County.

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February 25th, 2013

Source: http://orcasissues.com/co-op-members-can-sign-up-for-opalco-broadband-internet-and-phone-service

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