Answer: Broadband internet (FCC defined as 100mbps download/20mbps upload as of March 2024) is critical for today's digital economy, educational resources, public safety, and more. The state of Washington State Broadband Office has set the goal for every home and business in the state to have access to at least 150/150mbps broadband service by the year 2028.

Broadband deployment is increasingly considered an essential infrastructure. In today's connected world, it is extremely difficult to fully engage in learning, working, or accessing healthcare without the availability of high-speed internet services. 100 years ago, the major infrastructure push was to get electricity to all Americans. Today, it's high-speed internet.

Answer: The primary technologies utilized for the delivery of high-speed internet service are: wireline (fiber optic, copper, cable), land-based wireless (microwave, 5G), and satellite. 

Wireline: Fiber-optic broadband infrastructure is considered the "gold standard" of these options because it can support unlimited bandwidth use and has minimal signal degradation over long distances. Copper wire loses about 94% of its bandwidth capacity over 100 meters, whereas fiber-optic line only loses about 3% over the same distance. While wireline generally provides the most reliable service, it is also more expensive to deploy.

Wireless: Wireless is a good solution when wireline infrastructure is cost-prohibitive due to difficult geography, which would be very expensive to get a wireline solution to, or in rural areas with low building density. However, wireless infrastructure can be impacted by weather, trees, and other environmental factors.

Satellite: Satellite technologies, including traditional and low-Earth orbit, are useful resources for remote locations where wireline and wireless are not available. However, due to their high latency and instability of data transmission, the FCC does not recognize satellite internet service as broadband. As such, current grant programs will not award grant funds for satellite deployment.

Answer: In order to realize the full bandwidth of your selected service, your in-home router will need to be capable of supporting 1 gigabit symmetrical service. If you can't remember the last time you got a new router, it's probably time to upgrade. The general rule of thumb is that routers need to be upgraded about every 5 years for the typical user.

You can purchase new routers wherever you buy other electronics or reach out to NoaNet Community Broadband, and we can work with you to ensure you obtain a router that will meet your service needs.

Answer: NoaNet Community Broadband believes that everyone should have access to high-quality, affordable internet services. One of the ways this is ensured for Washington communities is to have a competitive open-access marketplace where customers can choose the service provider of their choice and where prices are competitive. NoaNet only provides end-user services on open-access networks.

Answer: NoaNet Community Broadband is proud to support affordable connectivity options. Our service prices and contract terms are available in the services section of this portal. Search your address to find out what services and prices are available to you. 

Answer: NoaNet Community Broadband operates exclusively on open-access broadband networks. This means that several qualified Retail Service Providers (RSPs) can share the network equally to provide services to end users. The open-access operating model has been shown to reduce service costs and improve the customer experience for end users. The reason for these positive consumer outcomes is that in an open-access marketplace with multiple providers, the providers must compete to gain customers' business. If someone is unsatisfied with their service quality, customer service experience, or other reasons, they can elect to change provider. Power to the people! 

Answer: Get started by entering your address in the main field on this site's homepage. You'll then be able to pick from available services for your location and place an order with NoaNet Community Broadband. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Support Team, which is available to serve you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!