Fibered up

Posted: Thursday, Nov 20, 2008 - 02:43:06 pm PST
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Dark fiber is available in Grant County

The Grant County PUD decision on dark fiber cost Grant County jobs, business and taxes.

WSS Corporation President Lee Willis asked the PUD board to lift a moratorium on leasing dark fiber. He said the decision cost his business clients, such as software company Oracle, Costco and Amazon.com.

Willis spoke on behalf of the Titan Building, a facility where clients would locate data centers in Moses Lake, similar to the ones in Quincy.

Costco was looking to build two data centers, one in the Titan Building. But with the PUD refusing to lease dark fiber, they told Willis one center was “off the table” and made it very clear they would not locate the second in Grant County without dark fiber.

What is dark fiber? It is fiber optic lines without equipment at both ends needed to transmit computer data. Most companies feel dark lines are more secure when they install the equipment and operate them.

Amazon.com left not only Grant County but the state. News reports indicate they are building a data center, much like the Microsoft and Yahoo! centers in Quincy, in Oregon.

Oracle followed Costco and Amazon. They left because the PUD would not lease dark fiber.

PUD board members alluded to losing money on dark fiber if they leased it to companies. The lit fiber, the fiber optic lines where they own and operate the equipment at both ends, is offered at a higher price. The lower costing dark fiber could be used by a company to compete with their lit fiber services.

Too bad they never considered raising dark fiber rates for companies looking to be fiber providers. Too bad they didn’t consider the cost reduction of not needing to buy and maintain the equipment.

Perhaps the worst impact of the PUD’s dark fiber decision was for Quincy.

Since May the PUD told the public they would not lease dark fiber. But did the PUD ever bother to mention the opportunities in Quincy? Did they tell inquiring companies how the Port of Quincy has access to four different groups who can provide dark fiber?

Microsoft and Yahoo! both publicly stated it was the access to fiber, the redundancy loops available and power costs that drew them to Quincy. They also enjoy the people of Quincy and proximity to Wenatchee.

But most companies scouting Grant County for a data center location would most likely contact the Grant County PUD about fiber access, where they learn the commissioners forbid dark fiber use.

Without the PUD alerting the business to the Port of Quincy’s ability to provide dark fiber from alternate sources, the companies moved on and we all lost the potential jobs, business and locally collected and used taxes.

Quincy and the Port of Quincy is reported to have 30 times the fiber capacity than the rest of the county all together. They have redundant loops. They offer dark fiber.

“(Northwest Open Access Network) made a substantial investment in fiber infrastructure, including equipment and more than 20 miles of fiber to and from Quincy ... Our fiber capacity can support the needs of a multitude of new technology-based tenants on the Port (of Quincy) property,” a NoaNet spokesperson wrote Port of Quincy Chairman Curt Morris.

The moratorium on dark fiber hurt Moses Lake with the loss of clients for the Titan Building. It hurt the county with the loss of more high-tech jobs and the taxes data centers bring.

The insult-added-to-the-injury for Quincy is when the PUD failed to tell companies seeking dark fiber that it was available through different providers in Quincy and at the port.

Instead of saving the opportunities for new businesses to bolster our Columbia Basin economy, the PUD’s decision for a moratorium on dark fiber is shutting the door to the potential benefits.

How many more companies are ignoring Quincy and Grant County because of the PUD moratorium and failure to communicate?

Fiber remains a hot issue in Grant County. It has been key issues in two elections. It fired up the voters and hopefully reviewing the loss of potential business will fire up the PUD commissioners to reverse their decision.

PUD commissioners Randy Allred and Greg Hansen stated publicly they oppose lifting the moratorium. Commissioners Terry Brewer and Tom Flint stated they support ending it. Commissioner Bob Bernd originally voted for the moratorium.

“It was hard for me to vote to keep the moratorium ... That hurt. I traditionally have tried to support industrial growth," Bernd said.

He’s the swing vote.

Now it’s time for one of them to step up and propose an end to the moratorium.

Or at least have the decency to direct the businesses to the Port of Quincy.

— Editorial board

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