Cheney experiments with new internet provider

CHENEY – The city working with Avista Edge to make sure residents have high-speed internet access. Avista Edge is a subsidiary of Avista Corp., an electric utility.

City Administrator Mark Schuller said common complaints from the community about internet reliability from traditional providers spurred them to look at other options.

As of now, Cheney residents can choose from Davis Communications, Lumen (formerly known as Century Link) and Ptera. Avista Edge will be a fourth option, Schuller said.

Avista Edge has developed a device that can be attached the customers’ existing power meter in a matter of minutes.

This device acts as a bridge between Avista’s 5G communication network and the existing power metering system. This system is more advantageous to rural communities because it’s cheaper than other faster internet alternatives like fiber optics, Schuller said.

This pilot is the first of its kind from Avista Edge and the pilot program will kick off in the Harvest Bluff and Avalon neighborhoods.

Eligible customers can expect invites to begin rolling out on Jan. 31 of this year. A devices iinstallation fee will be waived for pilot customers, he said.

A use plan is billed monthly with no long-term contracts and no additional data charges, he said.

From attending class online to connecting with our friends and family, reliable high-speed internet is the medium through which many of our most important interactions happen – and when the pandemic lock downs hit, it became the only way for some of those crucial interactions to occur at all.

The COVID-19 lockdowns showed rural communities around the country that high-speed internet is vital to almost every aspect of our lives.

This spurred the city to start a broadband pilot that would allow them to offer internet access like they offer other utility services like garbage, water, and electricity. The pilot length is still undetermined at this time as Avista Edge is still finishing up all of the marketing materials necessary for the two neighborhoods included in the pilot program.