On Feb. 18, Jefferson County PUD #1 commissioners discussed proposed rate increases of more than 1,233 percent.
That will make it cost prohibitive for others to provide service over what is required by state law to be an “Open Access Network,” leaving hundreds without internet service, most of which are low income.
Eight transport connections going from $150 a month to $2,000 a month each.
Will O’Donnell with the PUD came to me asking for us to move these connections to the PUD from other providers with the assurance that the PUD was confident in their pricing and would not change.
Some of these connections are less than a year old.
Other changes include increasing the rate we pay to service individual homes and businesses over the JPUD network while decreasing the retail price they charge.
Even if a retail service provider charged the same amount as the PUD, it wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of providing the service.
When bringing this to the attention of the Washington State Broadband Office, Connie Rivera’s response was, “We are not an enforcement agency,” even though the WSBO was created to oversee public retail broadband and make sure they followed RCW 54.16.330.
With the PUD lowering its retail rates while increasing wholesale, this obviously is not an open access network.
Leo J Boyd II
Port Hadlock