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By Kara Davidson
Gazette Reporter 

Public health office will get fiber connection

 

January 10, 2019



Chris Nelson, new Whitman County treasurer, presented a contract with Spectrum as a holdover from her former position as IT director, saying she was “going to slightly re-wear the hat of my prior existence.”

The Whitman County Public Health Department’s Pullman office off Bishop Boulevard has spent the last several years using a wireless internet connection. During the summers, foliage on the trees around the building disrupts the wireless connection. Nelson called the connection “Flaky at best.”

The county has been searching for more than a year to find a provider to help upgrade the internet in the building.

“Spectrum is interested in making that happen,” said Nelson.

Spectrum is a Pullman-based internet provider that has agreed to take on the project.

The agreement between Whitman County and Spectrum is to have Spectrum pull fiber into the Pullman Office.

“This will provide fiber to that building and provide very good service for our office located in that facility,” said Nelson.

Spectrum is covering the $15,000 fee to have the fiber pulled into the building. The county would pay a $250 administration fee that has already been budgeted into the county’s IT budget for 2019. Once service has been established, a monthly fee of approximately $400 would be charged. It is also already budgeted into the IT operations budget.

Fiber would increase the internet access to 25 megabyte bandwidth from slower bandwidth the building currently has using its wireless network.

The department’s largest program, a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC), will be moving to an internet-based program. There had been a lot of concern in the department as to how well the system would be able to handle the program. The fiber will be a timely improvement so the department can keep up with the program.

Troy Henderson, Whitman County public health director, said the health department staff, “are all incredibly excited! Two thumbs up.”

Nelson and the IT department encouraged the commissioners to move forward with the contract.

The commission approved a motion by Michael Largent to approve the contract and authorize the chairman to sign it for the county.

 

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