Wi-Fi speed thrills tribe

  • Eric Fetters / Herald Writer
  • Sunday, April 18, 2004 9:00pm
  • Business

John Pugh usually wakes up around 4:30 a.m. to beat the traffic on his 79-mile commute from the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Reservation to his office at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond.

Getting any work done from his home was nearly impossible. His home computer’s modem connected at about 23 kilobits per second — half the standard dial-up speed.

Now, thanks to a high-speed connection, he can connect to the Internet at speeds up to 30 times faster, allowing him to telecommute in the evening.

"I can sit at my computer at home, connect to my computer at work, and do my work just like I’d be doing it at work," Pugh said. "It’s pretty neat."

He’s not the only member of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe who is cruising the Internet these days. As of this month, all of the nearly 80 residents on the small reservation north of Darrington have high-speed, wireless Internet connections.

The reservation’s Wi-Fi system is the result of a partnership among the tribe, Verizon Avenue and Edmonds-based Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development Corp.

Funding for some of the computer equipment and the Affiliated Tribes EDC’s assistance also came from the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Foundations and the Bullitt Foundation, all of Seattle.

Verizon Avenue ran a broadband T-1 line into the reservation and then installed a Wi-Fi antenna to deliver the high-speed service to the reservation’s 20 homes and tribal buildings. Receiving antennas then were installed on the homes and buildings.

The partnership resulted in new Dell computers and computer training for the reservation’s residents.

Jason Joseph, Sauk-Suiattle tribal chairman, said he had been exploring the possibility of getting broadband access for the reservation for some time.

"Everything just fell into place," he said, adding that he sees numerous benefits.

"This makes it easier for the tribe to work, and for people here to get their education," he said.

While distance learning programs and telecommuting are important ways members can use the Wi-Fi access, there are also smaller benefits as well. Some members plan to regularly e-mail relatives now. Joseph said he can listen to Internet radio stations, since few radio signals reach that area in the daytime.

The tribe also is looking into the possibility of offering access to the Wi-Fi system, for a fee, to people who live near the reservation. If enough residents were to sign up, it could make some money for the tribe.

Randell Harris, technology outreach coordinator for the Affiliated Tribes EDC, said the Sauk-Suiattle’s Wi-Fi system is the first the organization has set up in the Northwest. But he sees potential for other reservations to duplicate it and take advantage of the possibilities offered by fast, reliable Internet access.

"One of the biggest things the tribes are looking at is educational resources," Harris said.

Verizon Avenue, the Virginia-based subsidiary of Verizon Communications that installed the Wi-Fi equipment and provided the 20 Dell computers to the reservation, usually sets up Wi-Fi hot spots to serve urban environments.

"They really focus on the multiple-dwelling unit market, such as high-rises, condos and apartments. But this is somewhat similar, since it’s 20 homes altogether," said Verizon spokeswoman Briana Gowing.

The three-year contract the tribe, the Affiliated Tribes EDC and Verizon Avenue entered into late last year was the first Verizon Avenue had signed with a sovereign nation such as the tribe. The contract also stipulates that any problems that crop up will be settled in tribal court, Harris said.

For Pugh, who manages automation for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team, the Wi-Fi access means he no longer has to stop in the evenings at Starbucks in Smokey Point, where he used that coffeehouse’s paid Wi-Fi access to check on projects at work before making the final leg of his commute home.

Instead, he can spend time with his children and run tests remotely from his home computer before he goes to bed. He can do the same thing in the morning, kicking off tests that run at work while he is commuting.

Also, since Pugh is usually out the door long before the rest of the family wakes up, the faster connection allows him to exchange instant messages with his wife and children and greet them with a "Good morning" via a Web camera.

Elstun Lauesen, director of technology for the Affiliated Tribes EDC, said his organization has talked with other Northwest tribes about planning similar broadband systems.

"We think this is a good template," Lauesen said. "We want to at least give people the access. What they do with it, is up to them."

Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.

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