| CenturyTel was selected by the Rainier Communication Commission to build a Pierce County-wide wireless broadband network. The network would be used by the members of the commission — which include Pierce County and about a dozen cities — for a backup public safety network. The backup public safety network will be built at no charge to the member jurisdictions, according the officials with the RCC, which is an advisory body to its members on telecommunication issues.
The commission approached 60 companies about the project and received 10 responses, according to RCC Director Bill Oltman. The project will be done in association with SkyPilot, a company that will provide the equipment.
CenturyTel will build pilot projects as a proof of concept in several jurisdictions. Residents and businesses will receive a limited free service during a 60-day test period in the pilot project areas, according to the RCC.
CenturyTel officials said the company is looking for a return on investment, and a feasibility study will determine whether a broader deployment will follow. A full deployment would bring wireless broadband services to CenturyTel customers.
Oltman said several jurisdictions in the county that are currently not commission members, including the city of Gig Harbor, are considering joining the RCC, which would allow them to negotiate inclusion in the wireless network. He said the emerging technology has been evolving, with a new countrywide trend toward municipal wireless broadband. Some jurisdictions are looking at it from an economic development perspective, while others hope to bridge the “digital divide.”. | 