One hundred years ago, Kitsap County’s isolation and surrounding waterways were perfectly suited for the fishing, timber and maritime industries that once thrived here.

Today, Stern says those same water ways — once the county’s economic lifeblood — have turned into obstacles that many area politicians and business leaders still believe must be overcome in order for Kitsap to compete in the struggle to recruit leading edge companies and high-paying jobs.

“High-speed, broad-band telecommunications services are what is going to drive our economy in the future,” said Stern, “not ferries, roads and bridges, which is what we’ve been preoccupied with for more than a century. If we’re going to compete for quality, high-tech jobs in Kitsap County, we have to do so with

first-rate, competitively priced telecommunications offerings.”

Stern gave the keynote address at an all-day telecommunications conference and trade show in late October dubbed “Get Connected.” The event drew 160 people, including Kitsap’s three county commissioners and a host of technology leaders and interested business people. It was presented by the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council in cooperation with Olympic College, the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and West Sound Technology Professionals Association.

Stern said history is replete with examples of how one solution to a problem, be it technology or transportation, was overtaken by a better more efficient solution. “The Erie Canal went by the wayside in 20 years,” he said, “outstripped by a new level of transportation — the train.”

If efforts to improve telecommunications services continue, Stern envisions a day when technology-based companies can easily set up shop in Kitsap County and, via the Internet and high-speed broadband, operate the world over.

“People don’t realize what can be gained by deploying advanced telecom services,” added Sid McWhirter, vice president of FTTX Systems and a presenter at the conference. “When electricity came on stream, it came about for illumination purposes. Now walk into any store and you can buy any number of devices you can plug in... We just can’t predict what services will be provided through that one pipe.”

Conference attendees heard from a variety of experts on subjects ranging from understanding basic telecommunications offerings and broadband delivery options in Kitsap County, to how the region’s labor force and training facilities are prepared to meet the demands and expectations of technology-related businesses.

Recognizable products and services such as cable modems, digital subscriber lines (DSL), fiber optics, frame relay, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), satellite technology, T-1 lines and wireless communications are all available in some form or another in Kitsap County.

“Broadband is everywhere,” said Bob Malecki of Northwest Network Services, a Bainbridge-based Internet provider. “Pricing is the difference. What you should use and why depends on how you evaluate your needs.”

“No single technology is going to be the answer for everyone,” noted Jim Kendall, president of NW Commnet, a wireless operator in Silverdale. “Look carefully at the quality of business-related services and residential services.”

Attendees learned that Kitsap County has three incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) - Qwest, Sprint and Century Tel. All three said they are moving forward with initiatives to improve their DSL offerings throughout the county and each admitted that conferences such as “Get Connected “ help guide their decision making when evaluating less urban markets such as Kitsap.

“We’re here to provide the best service possible,” said Bob Greenwood, vice president-Western Region Operations for Qwest. “(But) sometimes we just can’t keep up with the demand.”

Qwest has installed 17 remote DSL terminals in Kitsap County over the past year, significantly improving its high-speed offerings, Greenwood added.

Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the conference was Kitsap PUD’s announcement that it will begin construction of the first phase of its wholesale telecommunications “backbone” in Kitsap County in mid-November, with a completion date earmarked for around mid-March.

The PUD will build a 42-mile network, including two Sonnet loops, that will provide wholesale broadband to various telecommunications providers and possibly some municipalities and government entities operating in Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo and Kingston.

Later the utility, which has been in the water business for decades, plans to string a similar wholesale network to Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard and Gig Harbor and further out do likewise in other parts of Puget Sound.

“What it means is there’s going to be more fiber in your diet,” said David Jones of the PUD and its $4 million investment. “It’s going to mean open access and fair rates to all... It will be a great tool to market Kitsap to primary and secondary employers.”

And when those new companies arrive they will find a quality work force awaiting them, said Julie Tapparo, president of West Sound Work Force. “We’ve placed software testers, programmers, and software managers,” Tapparo said. “There’s some incredibly qualified folks here... The good news for local employers is that employees here will stay with you. They’re loyal and they’re highly trained.”

(Editor’s Note: Kevin Dwyer is a Bainbridge Island free-lance writer).