Re-purposed cable system could become high speed access to web

Interest was high at an October 14 town hall where Point Roberts resident and former telecommunications executive Bob Hillman presented an update on his plan to revive the community’s long-defunct cable network and bring affordable high-speed internet to local homes.

Hillman is in the process of purchasing the former Delta Cable system, which includes about 33 miles of existing coaxial lines and unused fiber infrastructure. A majority of homes on the Point retain connection to the defunct cable system.

Hillman’s project would modernize the network and connect it to major fiber lines already running through Point Roberts from Seattle and Vancouver. This capacity has never been utilized locally.

The project would cost about $750,000 to connect roughly 750 homes, offering 50 to 100 Mbps service for around $65 per month. Hillman also plans to add small wireless nodes to improve cell service and provide limited free community Wi-Fi.