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CenterFuse Broadband Feasibility Report <br /> Broadband Price Is Not a Major Issue for Businesses. While almost every business said that <br /> broadband was expensive, none of them told us this was a big issue for them. The businesses were far <br /> more concerned about reliability and consistent broadband speeds than price. This is similar to what we <br /> see in most communities. Businesses are grateful when they can find a good price, but reliability is the <br /> deciding factor for most when choosing among multiple ISPs. <br /> Businesses Outside the Downtown Corridor Don't Have Broadband Options. We heard from some <br /> businesses that were not located downtown that there is no good broadband option. These businesses are <br /> not being offered fiber. A few are using Consolidated DSL, and a few are using Charter, and some use <br /> both. None of these businesses is happy with the quality or reliability of existing broadband. It is these <br /> businesses that probably present the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity for CenterFuse to find <br /> a citywide solution for business broadband. <br /> Working from Home Is a Big Concern. A majority of the businesses we talked with had employees <br /> that worked from home during the pandemic. These businesses complained that a lot of their employees <br /> did not have satisfactory broadband to work from home. This is something we also heard in the <br /> residential survey. <br /> Many of those we interviewed also volunteered information about their home broadband. The ones who <br /> live in the city told us stories similar to what we found in the residential survey. But some of the <br /> business owners live outside of the city or have employees who live outside of the city, and they told us <br /> that broadband outside the city is far worse than in the city. For example, Consolidated DSL outside the <br /> city is far slower than the DSL inside the city. We heard that there were surrounding areas near the city <br /> where there is not even cellular coverage for the homes—drastically lowering the ability to work from <br /> home. <br /> Some Businesses Need Technical Assistance. We heard from several businesses that hoped that one <br /> outcome of this study would be some sort of technical help for businesses. These businesses said that <br /> they didn't have the expertise required to understand their broadband options. They also had major <br /> problems with broadband inside their businesses and need technical assistance to understand how to use <br /> WiFi or rewiring to best use the broadband they are buying. Several of these businesses are located in <br /> older buildings downtown, which have thick walls that are a challenge for WiFi. <br /> B. Residential Survey <br /> Residential Telephone Survey <br /> In November 2020, CCG Consulting conducted a residential telephone survey for households in <br /> Ellensburg concerning issues related to residential use and preference for broadband. <br /> Survey Methodology <br /> The survey covered only residents of the City of Ellensburg. The survey was conducted by telephone. <br /> CCG purchased a list of telephone numbers for residents of the city that included both landline and <br /> cellular telephone numbers. <br /> Page 19 <br />