We passed the 50% mark

When we started Net253 in 2012 at 253 Winslow Way West on Bainbridge Island, my plan was simple: provide internet to my business and a few tenants in the building. It wasn’t going to get out of hand. We weren’t going residential. We wouldn’t need extra help.

Fast-forward to 2026. We now serve 51.8% of active residential customers on the KPUD fiber network — more than all the other ISPs combined. Not that I’m counting.

We’ve grown into a full-time team with dedicated vehicles and a collection of very expensive test equipment (Steve is an electrical engineer — he has a tool problem). We have accessible administrative support to make billing, onboarding, leaving, pleasant instead of frustrating.

We keep investing in better equipment, stronger connections, improved reliability, and clearer visibility into network operations. We meet regularly with KPUD to plan for reliability and resiliency. Sometimes I say, “I believe in this — please build it and bill me.” Those are things we don’t have to do to maintain decent service, but decent isn’t our goal. Our customer base lets us reinvest in the network, and the reward is a customer thanking us for years of service and being genuinely upset they’re moving somewhere we can’t serve.

So pop the cork — we’re here for the long haul. We have a new generation of employees (all born and raised in Kitsap — beat that!) and plans to keep going long after the old man is just the funny guy in a ratty flannel telling stories (and groaners).

Thank you for trusting us to deliver an essential service to your home.

— The Net253 Team