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CenterFuse Broadband Feasibility Report • Working in the Cloud. Most of the business we talked to use at least some software in the cloud. Several of them keep almost work on software systems that are almost entirely in the cloud, meaning that software is processed in a remote data center. Companies were also routinely storing data in the cloud. • Security Systems. Several businesses told us that their security systems, meaning burglar alarms and security cameras are monitored in the cloud. • Sending and Receiving Large Data Files. A few of the businesses we talked to routinely send very large data files or else large volumes of smaller files with customer, vendors, or other branches of the business. Businesses told us that the size of data files they routinely transmit and receive have grown significantly larger over the last few years. • VoIP. A few businesses are now using Voice over IP (VoIP) for telephone communications. This is a telephone product where the telephone switch is in the cloud. A reliable VoIP system needs to have dedicated bandwidth that is guaranteed and that has Quality of Service (Qo) so that VoIP bandwidth doesn't vary according to other demands for bandwidth within the business. • Communicating via Video. Most of the businesses we talked to now routinely participate in video meetings on services such as Zoom. These connections require a dedicated download and upload link for the duration of each video session. A few businesses are concerned about this new use of broadband. For example, on business told us that they seemed to be unable to engage in more than six video sessions at the same time. • Email and Advanced Communications. While many businesses still rely on email, many have gone to more advanced communications systems that let parties communicate in a wide variety of ways. Businesses are using collaborative tools that let multiple employees from various locations work on documents or other materials in real time. • Supporting Remote Employees. The newest use of broadband during the pandemic was figuring out how to provide access to company servers or cloud services when employees were working from home. • Data Back-up. Companies are wary of hacking and ransomware and routinely maintain several remote copies of all critical data to allow them to restore data if they have a problem. • Remote Interface with Devices. We talked to two businesses in the city that were able to communicate remotely with devices located within the business. Great Broadband Options Downtown. The businesses in downtown Ellensburg have great broadband options, and there are some businesses with three choices of fiber provider—Consolidated, Charter, and the City. This is good as anything that can be found in much larger cities in the state—there are a huge number of businesses in markets like Seattle that have no fiber options. Anchor Institutions Have Great Broadband. Most of the anchor institutions in the community such as the university, the schools, the hospital, and government offices are served by fiber. Within the city, City Fiber has built fiber to connect government locations, and the city acts as its own ISP. The schools and the university get world-class bandwidth through the Washington State K20 Network. Unfortunately, that network does not partner or provide broadband to entities other than universities, schools, and libraries. That's a shame, because the K20 network is probably bringing the largest Internet backbone to the city in terms of bandwidth. However,the education network was built with taxpayer money and legislators have included restrictions to block these broadband networks from competing with commercial ISPs. Page 17