Ziply Fiber celebrates completion of Internet project

BREWSTER – Ziply Fiber, the Kirkland, Washington-based fiber optic Internet service provider, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony here on Oct. 5 to celebrate the completion of its installation project.

The event marked the culmination of a two-year effort that began when Ziply acquired Frontier Communications, the previous Brewster Internet provider of DSL copper Internet, and pledged to make Brewster its legacy city in Washington.

“We’re building fiber over the next three years,” Ziply CEO Harold Zeitz told city council members in May 2021. “Ziply is investing about half a billion dollars to bring fiber to about 85 percent of the locations in our footprint.”

Users will experience a marked improvement in both service speed and reliability.

“We are bringing the fastest, most reliable fiber to Brewster,” said Ziply Director of Operations Kay Quinn. “Fiber is one of the most reliable forms of Internet you can have. Ziply has redundancy on the fiber side not just one or two times but two or three times, so no more service going down.”

Brewster residents interested in getting high speed fiber Internet for their homes can visit ziplyfiber.com online to get set up, said Quinn. Brewster city hall also has information flyers about the new service.

Quinn said Ziply worked with the Economic Alliance and the Broadband Action Team (BAT) that helped the company secure grant funding. BAT was formed from a coalition of partners in February 2019 with the goal of bringing high speed internet to every part of Okanogan County and the Colville Reservation. Grants included $3.9 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for Ziply to provide service to Brewster. Tonasket, Loomis, and Curlew (Ferry County).

“The main body of the town of Republic is now completed,” said Keith Simas, Ziply’s local manager. “Tonasket is just now ramping up. Loomis is a small town so that will go fast.”

Brewster Director of Finance Misty Ruiz said the new high-speed service will resolve payment delays or failures between the city and utility customers and eliminate business credit card transaction problems.

“Even the lowest of incomes will qualify for service,” said Ruiz, adding that subsidies may be available to make the new Internet affordable for all households. The subsidies are handled through Ziply, but city hall can help with information about that option.

“The digital equity issue in America is huge today,” said Ruiz. “Now we don’t have to worry about that anymore. We have closed our digital divide.”

Mike Maltais: 360-333-84893, michael@ward.media