NocTel agrees to install fiber optic cable at Parker’s Landing Marina

Partnership will help Port enhance security at marina; could someday offer Wi-Fi to boat owners

By Doug Flanagan
August 15, 2024 12:51 pm
News, Port of Camas-Washougal

Doug Flanagan/Post-Record A sign attached to a gate at Parker's Landing Marina in Washougal informs visitors that the area is under 24-hour video surveillance.

NocTel, a Washougal-based internet company, has reached an agreement with the Port of Camas-Washougal to install fiber optic cable into Parker’s Landing Marina, greatly enhancing the Port’s efforts to increase security at the boatyard.

Port commissioners approved the agreement during their Aug. 7 meeting.

“The tenants have asked for this for a long time. We just didn’t have the technology to be able to do it,” commissioner Larry Keister said. “The tenants wanted to have not only security on the docks, but also (Wi-Fi) on their boats, so now they have that option. It’s moving in a direction that the marina tenants want it to go.”

The fiber cable will allow the Port to properly repair and upgrade its network and camera system, and install more security cameras, according to the Port’s information technology manager, Kyle Chinn.

“The purpose of this fiber is for me to be able to install cameras, a lot more of them, because we just can’t (right now),” he said. “We have a very big area we’re trying to monitor, and we can only put so many cameras in there, so (this agreement) allows us to be able to just keep a more watchful eye over the marina.”

Chinn said the Port’s current camera system is “at max capacity.”

“It was never really installed to (do what it’s been doing). I am amazed at how well our camera system is working currently, because we’re using POE (power over ethernet) extenders, which allow us to run cameras all the way down to A-Row, but that’s a really long run all the way back to home base here. This is how it should have been installed originally. We should have a really, really good system moving forward.”

The cable will also give the Port the option of installing Wi-Fi at the marina, according to Chinn.

“We can have a completely separate network also installed for Wi-Fi, so it won’t be attached to anything here in the Port (office),” he said. “That should be really nice.”

The Port will provide power for NocTel’s network equipment, such as access points and switches, as needed to serve its internal non-public network as well as NocTel’s public network; allow NocTel to use existing conduits and handholes as needed; and provide NocTel staff access to maintain infrastructure, according to the agreement.

The project will be done at “no cost to either party within the scope of the work” listed in the agreement.

“We are not paying for them to run fiber to our marina,” Ripp told The Post-Record. “This is specifically for our camera systems. But in the future, we could use these lines for internet (service), which we would pay a monthly fee (for).”

Schruth told the Post-Record that the project will benefit his company by providing it with “relationships and connection to (its) neighbors.”

“NocTel has many passion projects that have led to amazing business development opportunities for us and the continued support and growth of our community. Our vision around completing this project is a collaborative effort that benefits everyone,” he said. “Just like when NocTel adopted Reflection Plaza in downtown Washougal a number of years ago, there’s not always a business incentive. As a local Washougal-based company, I want our team to continue being involved with and helping our community. It’s how we grow and show that we have a different mindset than our competitors.”

The agreement calls for NocTel to work with Port on future fiber optic related projects, including expanding the Port’s fiber network into the marina boat launch parking lot, Washougal Waterfront Park, the breakwater, and Grove Field Airport.

NocTel has provided the majority of the Port’s industrial park tenants “with exceptional fiber Internet and voice options that exceed the competitor alternatives,” according to Schruth.

“Partnering with Cory Schruth of NocTel on this project is a clear choice for us,” Ripp said in a news release. “Their goals and values in the community completely align with ours. They have proven they are a tenant that is committed to bringing a true quality service to Port tenants and local residents, which is the best and most reliable service to this area. This is why the Port exists, to continue to support companies like NocTel.”

Schruth started NocTel in 2018 to bring high-speed internet services to rural areas in Southwest Washington. In 2023, the company moved from its downtown Washougal location to the Port’s industrial park and completed a “massive expansion of its network and capacity,” allowing it to provide speeds of up to 300Mbps to its customers, according to its website.

“NocTel moved to Washougal because of the untapped opportunities in this area for interconnecting its residents, as well as being a perfect place for a small business to prosper,” Schruth said. “In appreciation of this environment, NocTel, in its growth, wants to give back to the community that has done so much for us already. Not only has this contributed to the success of NocTel, but also inspired investment back into the community.”

Scurhth said that “the goals of the Port of Camas-Washougal match exactly what we are as a business.”

“We are always seeking alignment with our products and services that we offer on a local and state level, which in turn support the community we live in,” he said. “When a small business like ours grows, it means great things for our community, which means jobs, innovation and economic stability. NocTel Fiber appreciates the shared mindset and goals with the Port which benefits both our success and futures in this community.”

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