Sept/Oct Fiber Updates
PUD lineworkers and contract fiber crews continue their push northward, with PUD crews installing main line fiber and fiber crews running drops to the home. Below are updates for each grant funded fiber area. A more thorough update is emailed to every registered home, so please be sure to check your inbox for all the latest on your area!
Want to see the latest buildout mapping? Check out our live map here. Or visit our updated Fiber FAQ page here.
Olympic Fiber Corridor & Inbetweens
Crews have built fiber to more than 800 homes in our Quilcene to Gardiner fiber projects. Work should be completed by late-2024 to early-2025. Contract crews are working from south-to-north, with PUD line crews leading the charge placing main line fiber on utility poles across the mid-county region. You may see a flurry of activity as PUD staff and their flagging crew conduct work on and around the local roadways.
Hanging the Main Line
Hanging main line fiber requires placing pulleys to each utility pole, running a 1-mile-long pull line, then connecting the fiber to the pull line with what is (essentially) like the Chinese finger trap kids toy (a one-way device).
With the fibers pulled through, crews can now double-back and create the slack loops. Slack loops are needed for future maintenance (they give enough slack to drop the fiber down to a splicing van or tent on the ground), and they also provide much needed give-way should a tree fall on the line. It's important to remember that fiber cable is incredibly strong--stronger than steel power cable in most cases--and can quite easily withstand or support the weight of an entire tree. The components that most often fail are the connection points on the utility poles themselves.
Drop Construction
Contract crews are moving steadily along with installation of fiber drops to the home.
Running fiber to the home most often follows the utility pathway either underground or overhead. Once fiber arrives at the home you will see a coiled line left behind. This often is placed near the electric meter on the home. The next visit will be from a PUD contractor to conduct splicing and placement of the network device (NID) on the exterior of the home. The NID is a small gray box that protects your fiber from the elements and pesky animals. The fiber splicer will run the exposed fiber inside conduit to the NID and prepare the box for the next step, which is in-home installation by PUD staff.
Fiber in the Home
Prior to the in-home install you will receive an email providing available dates and time slots for installation. Please select one for when you or someone from the household will be home. PUD staff will run the fiber from the network box to the inside of the home (up to 50' either direction) and terminate the fiber inside the home in what looks similar to a wall outlet cover plate. Please note: PUD staff are not allowed to fish the fiber through interior walls, through attic joists, in crawl spaces, or under decks.
Our PUD tech will complete the install with our network equipment and provide basic operation instructions. If you have any questions about your service or equipment questions, please visit our FAQ page here, or you can email us at broadband@jeffpud.org or call our main line at (360) 385-5800.
Open Access installation process: The PUD operates an open-access network allowing qualified ISP's to provide service through our network. This means the ISP or homeowner will provide some in-home components (router/modem or mesh devices). PUD staff still must install the fiber from the NID to the interior of the home, as well as install the fiber modem. Your chosen ISP will conduct the remaining installation and connection.
Buildout Thresholds
Please note that we’ve run out of no-charge installations for both the Inbetweens and Olympic Fiber Corridor project areas. We only have funding to cover the first 60% of area installs. Everyone who signs up after the 60% threshold is reached will have to pay a $750 construction cost-share charge. Sign up's requiring the charge for construction of fiber will automatically receive an email notification with next steps. A $100 deposit is required. The $750 fee can be a one-time payment or spread across 36 months of fiber billing. If friends or neighbors are on the fence about registering, please have them sign up today! This is a once in a generation opportunity for rural fiber to the home. After the PUD project areas are complete, construction of a drop to the home could cost between $3,000 and $10,000!
Jefferson North & Discovery Bay East
Currently our engineering firm is finishing up the project design for both the Jefferson North and Discovery Bay East project areas. JPUD staff will review the designs and we expect to go to bid in late-2024 with construction to begin in 2025.
Buildout Thresholds
Please note that we’ve run out of no-charge installations for both the Jefferson North and Discovery Bay East project areas. We only have funding to cover the first 60% of area installs in Jefferson North, and 70% of installs in the Discovery Bay East projects. Jefferson North is currently at 63%, and Discovery Bay East is at 79%. Homes who register after the threshold is reached will have to pay a $750 construction cost-share charge. Sign up's requiring the charge for construction of fiber will automatically receive an email notification with next steps. A $100 deposit is required. The $750 fee can be a one-time payment or spread across 36 months of fiber billing. If friends or neighbors are on the fence about registering, please have them sign up today! This is a once in a generation opportunity for rural fiber to the home. After the PUD project areas are complete, construction of a drop to the home could cost between $3,000 and $10,000!
Southeast Jefferson
We are nearing completion of our initial environmental review with the federal government. We expect to begin engineering and design in early-2025. We anticipate beginning construction in early-2026 and hope to complete the project in the same year.
Current registrations are at 42%. After 65% there is a $750 construction cost-share that applies. We have reached our threshold amounts in each of our other project areas.