For those who have been following telecommunications developments in Mason County for the past several years, you will recognize that a highly significant event occurred on March 1. A map of broadband availability was placed on the Economic Development Council web site at: www.hctc.com/~masonedc. The intent of that long awaited project is to disseminate knowledge to the community on where broadband Internet access is available and how to obtain it.

For those who may not have been following broadband development and map development, the project has been long, arduous, and complicated. Under the Economic Development Council of Mason County Telecommunications Development Committee, a phenomenal level of cooperation has been achieved between public and private hardware providers who are in court with each other in other areas. In Mason County they are at the table together and figuring out how to get a rural county “wired” without getting legally entangled and make a profit while they are at it.

The primary hardware installations have come from both public and private investments. Mason County PUD No. 3 has installed a countywide fiber optics backbone with fiber available in many specific locations, including Shelton. Hood Canal Communications has reached a great deal of the southern, central and western areas including Shelton with fiber optics, broadband cable, DSL and wireless hardware. In the north end of the county WAVE (formerly Charter Communications) has deployed broadband cable, as has been the case with Comcast in the southeastern sector. Most recently, Qwest has made DSL available in Shelton and its surrounding areas as well as the Timberlakes and Harstine Point areas.

In addition to Qwest, WAVE, Comcast and Hood Canal Communications who function as Internet Service Providers, that same services is available from Adjicent, Donobi, and Little Creek Casino as well as many other providers who work through local hardware installations.

The map itself will not answer questions right down to a specific address but in most cases it will lead inquirers to where answers can be obtained from service providers. Beyond what is presently seen on the map, broadband development continues locally on an almost daily basis.