WAITSBURG - Faster Internet speeds could be coming to the Touchet Valley in 2013 because one local business owner says he wants to hook up to a new, cutting edge fiber optic network.

Danny Cole, owner of Touchet Valley Communi- cations in Waitsburg, said last week he plans to offer the new Internet services to local customers. An agreement with Pocketi- Net Communications Inc. will allow Cole to provide services, said Todd Bran- denburg, the president and founder of PocketiNet.

"It's an opportunity that should help me tremendously," Cole said.

He has been offering Internet services in the val- ley since 2001and has just more than 100 customers.

The Tacoma- based Northwest Open Access Network (NoaNet) is in- stalling 1,600 miles of fiber from Pasco to Clarkston to Spokane and will be ready for local branching and connections at the end of the year, Brandenburg said.

The installation of the fiber optics was paid for by a government grant.

"It's a highway for ultra- high capacity services," Brandenburg said. " It could be a great benefit to economic drivers."

The grant covers hook ups on the new line to lo- cal schools, libraries and hospitals for free, he said.

But, companies like Cole's and PocketiNet will need to pay to hook up to the line to offer services.

Brandenburg and Cole are just talking at this point, but the hope is that once the NoaNet fiber is ready to go, PocketiNet would hook up to the sys- tem and Cole's company could distribute the new Internet service to customers through wireless or other new technology.

Brandenburg said he has not yet heard of any- one else in the Touchet Valley area working to of- fer NoaNet services.

For customers, Cole said the benefits of the No- aNet service will be faster Internet speeds. He could also begin offering phone services to customers. With faster speeds and more op- tions, Cole is hoping the change will allow him to expand his business and al- low him to hire one or two more people to work at his company.

"I do the whole show right now," he said.

No one has quoted him any prices, so he does not know how much the faster Internet services will cost his customers.

The price may fall be- tween $40 and $60 a month, he said.

With the NoaNet "live" at the end of December, Cole is hoping Touchet Valley Communications customers can have blazing Internet speeds in February.

"I'm really excited about this," Cole said. "It's going to be a good boost for the community."

Brandenburg said he hopes the agreement with Touchet Valley Commu- nications follows through because they could help meet the goal of providing better telecommunicating to rural areas.

"We're glad to work with companies like Danny's to achieve a high level of sup- port," Brandenburg said.