Is it possible to have good internet and live rural on acreage ? (Wenatchee: 2014, house)

[therese marie]

We are moving to WA this fall.. We are toying with the idea of getting a home with over 10+ acres so my step son can build a home on the property in couple years too..
However, most important thing is to have good high speed internet...
Is that even possible??

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by therese marie

We are moving to WA this fall.. We are toying with the idea of getting a home with over 10+ acres so my step son can build a home on the property in couple years too..
However, most important thing is to have good high speed internet...
Is that even possible??

Yes, but it will require research. My parents, for example, are on 5 acres, very rural, yet only 20 minutes in either directions for cities with high speed fiber internet. Their service is slow because the provider cannot trench across the state forest land between them and the main highway. People a mile closer in have it.

[Diana Holbrook]

Sure.... even out here in the sticks, we do have internet!

Many rural places - as rural as you're talking about buying - have cable. Those that don't, often have DSL available.

[509]

Originally Posted by therese marie

We are moving to WA this fall.. We are toying with the idea of getting a home with over 10+ acres so my step son can build a home on the property in couple years too..
However, most important thing is to have good high speed internet...
Is that even possible??

I have a friend that is 35 miles in on a dirt road and he has fiber to his house.....of course, you need to live in eastern Washington to have access to fiber in rural areas.

Here is a company that operates off the fiber networks put in by the PUD's in the various counties. There are other counties with fiber that are not served by IFiber.

Ifiber Communications

Chelan County has 1Gbps service for $86/month.

Here is an overview of high speed internet in Washington state:

https://utility-line.com/2016/08/09/...and-wholesale/

[StealthRabbit]

Definitely you want to be EAST side WA to get great and affordable rural internet (often fiber).

If NO internet (common in We_tern WA) & you are a casual user.... no VPN or streaming needs, you can use satellite internet (OK download, but SLOW upload,)

If you live in a federally restricted scenic area that allows NO cell towers, No dishes, and has no Broadband, Cable or DSL you can sometimes get 'pay-per-byte' dialup. Dong, Dong... works on rare occasion. Easier to drive to town and find a hotspot (several times / day)

Fiber goes directly in front of our house, but is only accessible to public funded libraries and schools.

Don't expect too much for $43 / day in property taxes.

If you expect to subdivide a 10 acre lot, be AWARE of restrictions and permit costs (including "Impact fees") in some areas ($20k+ JUST for impact fees in my area, permit is 'extra' (if even allowed)). Have an approved Perk (septic permit) in hand BEFORE you buy, and put it in Immediately... (do the well also) before the Health Dept changes the rules!

[CrazyDonkey]

Grays Harbor has PUD fiber internet similar to eastern Washington (Wenatchee, Chelan, etc.). For instance:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...55074370_zpid/

Elma, WA » 11 Internet Providers

Check with specific ISPs for coverage for specific addresses.

[Haakon]

Possible? Yes, but you need to check VERY carefully if it isn't already installed. If it isn't already there cable companies have been known to say "sure you can have it installed" without telling you it will cost $20,000 to do it. We had cable run from the street to our house when we bought property 20 years ago, long before there was cable here, all it cost was the cost for the wire since the trench was already open. The person with the property next door didn't. 5 years later when cable finally made it here it only cost a small amount for us to be hooked up, they wanted tens of thousands to hook up the neighboring property. Even today they still don't have it, because it's still hugely expensive.

This story is in New York, but similar things have happened in WA and other states.
CNY man says Time Warner Cable wants to charge $20,000 for broadband Internet | syracuse.com

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Yes, but I have to wind mine up for 1/2 hour every day, then pray to the Internet gods, while doing a naked headstand. Oh, yeah, then I have to pay $85/month or more for Internet only, & beg the "Retention" department once a year.

[rkcarguy]

You've got to research the area first for sure...and that doesn't mean call the providers because often they don't know where their own cables are. I've been told service was available only for it not to be. Ask the neighbors, look for dishes on nearby homes, etc.
The major high speed internet providers have gotten very greedy and reluctant to invest in their own infrastructure. My friends house and several others were 1-1/4 miles from a cross road with fiber, and they were referred to an installation company that quoted them $28,000 to service the road, even though the providers would pick up about 40 customers if everyone on the road signed up.
Meanwhile, the only option is satellite TV and internet to the tune of almost $200/month, with a data package for the internet that gets burned up in about 10 days and reverts to "dial-up speed".
There are wireless internet options, but they require line of sight, and getting above the tall trees abundant here in many area's makes it nearly impossible.

[stan4]

Anything is possible if you have enough money.