Discussion about Bristol Virginia Utilities and Chelan Public Utility District in Washington.

Bristol Virginia Utilities (BVU), a not-for-profit electric municipal utility, began offering voice and data services to local schools and government operating in the Bristol, Va., area in 2001. Using a fiber optic network, the company affordably provided the community with access to the most advanced communications technology available. As a result, BVU satisfied a primary objective of enabling economic prosperity and new business development from the improved communications infrastructure.

In 2002, Chelan County PUD made the decision to execute a full-phased deployment of fiber to the premises. This plan, which began in 1999, involved trenching and blowing fiber throughout the county and providing drops directly to customer premises. The plan also included providing the necessary network infrastructure to deliver triple-play services to end users. The PUD wholesales its network to various voice and data service providers, with plans to include video services in its portfolio later this year.