Visitors and prospective home buyers coming to San Juan Island might wonder what sort of connectivity options are available when they arrive here. With the demand for access to email or wanting to electronically manage personal data or specific websites, it’s always good to know what the island can offer either for someone just swinging by for the weekend or perhaps looking to buy property and wanting to stay connected.
Internet access, whether it be via Ethernet or wifi is certainly available on the island. How it differs from areas like Seattle or Portland is how it’s centralized here. If you happen to look at a map of San Juan Island, try and locate both Friday Harbor & Roche Harbor. It’s in these two locations where availability is greatest.
For someone visiting Friday Harbor, businesses such as The Doctor’s Office or The Bean offer free access if you stop by for coffee or snacks. Rock Island Technology Solutions, a local service provider, also has a wireless arrangement around the downtown & harbor area that’s fee-based if you plan to be here for a few days. If you swing by the island with your own boat, there’s also wireless available both in the Port of Friday Harbor as well as up in the Roche Harbor marina area, and these are fee-based as well.
If you’re looking to buy property here and want to hit the ground running with internet access, the most options available will again be in Friday Harbor, which offers services through Time Warner Cable, Clearwire, Century-Tel and again Rock Island. As an example, R.I. can offer residents in town land-line DSL as well as access to their wireless canopy, which is more than capable of handling a hi-speed connection if need be. In addition, you can also contact Century-Tel (now called Century Link) to take care of your DSL requirements. If you’re wondering what the difference is between Rock Island and Century-Tel, they use the identical phone circuit & fiber technology here, the difference being R.I. has an office in town for walk-in or local phone support.
As you head out of town towards other parts of the island, your primary options for internet connectivity will be between Century-Tel or Rock Island. Nearly the entire island is “wired” for access between C.T & R.I., which means you typically won’t have trouble getting on-line if needed. Just remember, you have more options when you’re in town.
By Eddie Rivera…PA