11-6-2001
IT infrastructure in Kitsap County – or,
how to get from here to there in cyberspace”
By: Jim Kendall, President - Telebyte NW
John Stockwell, President - Convergence Technologies, Inc.
   For nearly a century the average telephone company customer was a voice customer. Whether in the old days of operator routed local calls or in the relatively recent history of analog-electronic switches, the driving purpose of the telecommunications industry was to deliver voice communications farther, less expensively, and more clearly. Only in recent times has that changed, and with the advent of digital communications and the Internet, change has accelerated dramatically.
   It has only been in the past 15 or 20 years that modems began to arrive on desktops in any large numbers. Until then, modems and even facsimile machines were almost status symbols for the ultra-savvy or for government agencies. The older among us will remember the 1968 movie “Bullit” with Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn. In it, the then-incredible “fax” took half an hour to send one photo from Chicago to San Francisco. Now entire movies can be sent in minutes over national backbones between the same two cities.
  To use this new technology requires several components, not least of which is “last mile” completion of data links. Recently introduced technologies include Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (DSL or ADSL) and cable modems. These two technologies employ much of the existing architecture as well as newly installed infrastructure to deliver the “last mile” connection to the end user. Until recently, these technologies and others have either been unavailable or very limited inside Kitsap County. That is changing dramatically.
   The availability to connect to High Speed Internet service (AKA “Broadband” Service) varies throughout Kitsap and North Mason counties. These connections can be divided into four basic “groups”. These are Cable Modems provided by cable TV providers, DSL provided by telephone companies (both ILEC and CLEC), T-1 and other special high-speed circuits also provided by the telephone companies, and Wireless Access provided by local independent communication companies. Each of these connections has their unique merits and limitations. Cable modem and DSL services are currently targeted toward the residential and small business that requires somewhat limited access to the Internet. Both utilize shared facilities to reduce cost. T-1 and other specialty circuits are higher speed circuits and have higher through-put along with higher costs. Wireless connections allow the end-user to select the connection rate most appropriate for their need and to balance the connection speed against the cost.
   DSL initially was limited to areas 10-14 thousand feet from a telephone company central office. Recently the telephone companies have been extending this reach by placing DSL equipment away from the central office. Cable modem service has always had a longer reach than DSL and is becoming available in many areas of Kitsap County. Both AT&T Cable and Charter Cable have improved their networks and offer broadband service to most of their service areas.
   Telephone Company-provided T-1 (1.544 Mbit) service comes in various forms. Frame Relay service allows a consumer to buy just part of a T-1 circuit. This allows a closer match between cost and speed of connection. Frame Relay service is also a shared service once your connection gets to the central office.
   Point to point-(P-to-P) T-1 circuits provide a full 1.544Mbit connection and connect two locations.
   The P-to-P T-1 comes with a high reliability, high-speed service but also a relatively high expense. Wireless access is being installed in Kitsap County from Kingston to Port Orchard. This service is reliable and can be installed anywhere line-of-sight can be achieved. While this offers a good deal of flexibility, it is also a weakness that must be taken into consideration. Provisioning of wireless service requires line of sight from your location to a wireless provider. Multiple antenna placements allow providers to cover most of the business core areas in the County, and coverage area continues to expand.
   The latest vehicle for providing widely available high-speed access is fiber-optic cable. These strands of high-grade glass allow extreme high-speed transmission of data, video and voice. Currently the fiber infrastructure in Kitsap and North Mason counties has limited availability for general access. Locally fiber is available from cable TV providers, telephone companies and one Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) on a limited basis, depending on location and requirements. Kitsap PUD #1 has purchased a large amount of fiber cable and will begin placing the cable late this year. This fiber will extend from Belfair to Poulsbo and to four-corners just outside Kingston via Bremerton and Silverdale. The PUD will work with companies that provide retail communication service to make the fiber available for service by the end first quarter 2002. Kitsap and North Mason counties are coming of age in communication infrastructure.

(Editor’s Note: Both Mr. Stockwell and Mr. Kendall are members of the Board of Directors of the Washington Association of Internet Service Providers (WAISP). Mr. Kendall is President of WAISP.)