Spokane Company Ok’d To Do Hook-Ups

A Spokane company is one of two firms given approval to hook up State of Washington agencies or cities to the Internet.

Getting that approval were Spokane-based CompuTech, which now has 700 Internet customers in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, and the Washington Library Network.

Both CompuTech and the nonprofit library group met standards that are designed to ensure all state contracts for services are signed with reputable firms.

The agreement is non-exclusive. Any state agency or city government can also arrange a bid for Internet services with other providers, said Rudy Mazza of the Washington State Department of Information Services.

For most purposes, most Internet accounts cost between $10 and $15 per month. For more extensive services, rates can increase to $30 per month.

The number of agencies expected to use the Internet may reach as high as 100 in three years, state officials predict.