PORT ANGELES — City officials are looking for local businesses to be part of a pilot project using fiber optic lines next year.
This is part of a proposed project to install the high-speed, high-capacity telecom lines citywide.
“This is exciting — this is going to be the first, big step forward,”‘ said Larry Dunbar, city power resources manager.
Dunbar said the city is particularly interested in engineering firms, architects, insurance agents, accounting firms, real estate agencies –as well as business consultants and people with technology-based home businesses — who need a “broadband pipe” to the Internet or as part of a wide-area computer network.
The city needs a minimum of 20 users to participate in the no-risk 90-day trial from Jan. 1-March 31, 2002.
To participate you need to be located in an area roughly from Cherry Street east to Race Street, and north from the waterfront to just past Eighth Street.
Dunbar said interested persons should attend a meeting about the fiber-optics project next Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m. in the City Council chambers at City Hall.
You can also contact Dunbar at 360-417-4710, or by e-mail him at .
A rundown on the project is on the Web under “Pilot Project” at www.mcco.com/portangeles/index.html. To access this Web site area the user name and password are both “pilot.”