On Tuesday night at the Ocean Shores Convention Center, representatives of Ripple Fiber, a North Carolina-based internet service provider, held a meet and greet to educate residents and attract customers as the company begins efforts to roll out service.

Ripple Fiber is promising up to 2 gigabits per second upload and download speeds utilizing an end-to-end fiber optic network.

Roughly 10 months ago, a company known as HyperFiber led by then-President and CEO Dan Kennedy held a town hall in Ocean Shores and introduced itself to the citizenry much to the chagrin of longtime cable TV and internet provider Coast Communications. At the time, St. Louis-based HyperFiber planned to offer 1 Gps download and upload speeds at $85 per month.

In May 2025, HyperFiber announced a merger with Ripple Fiber, which was completed in early September. Kennedy moved over and is now executive chairman of Ripple Fiber. Then-Washington Market Manager for HyperFiber Lorie Hills, who introduced HyperFiber to Ocean Shores city leaders and attended the March 2025 town hall, is now a regional executive with Ripple Fiber and was also in attendance along with Community Liaison Michael Buchanan and other Ripple Fiber staff Tuesday night.

“Ripple Fiber’s expansion into Washington state represents our network’s ninth state and a notable achievement for our growth strategy, reflecting the significant progress our team has made in building a coast-to-coast network,” Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Ripple Fiber, said via a press release in late 2025. “As we approach the start of construction in the coming weeks, we look forward to serving as a catalyst for expanding digital access in communities throughout the state.”

The Ocean Shores City Council approved the telecommunications franchise agreement with Ripple Fiber at the Nov. 25 meeting. Mayor Frank Elduen, who was unable to attend the Tuesday presentation, has been on the frontier of bringing fiber optic internet service to the seaside city of 8,000.

“Ocean Shores will benefit from fiber optic internet. Improved connectivity and high speed fiber will increase opportunities for those looking to work from home and telecommute from the coast, and it will afford new services and internet options for our residents,” Elduen said via Ripple Fiber’s press release.

Ripple Fiber Vice President of Government Affairs and General Manager for Washington state Kevin Folk led what was termed a “groundbreaking” ceremony and gave an overview of the company and its plans for Ocean Shores.

“Thank you for supporting Ripple Fiber and our groundbreaking event. This is an exciting time for all of us to be engaged with the community,” Folk said. “We had to work through some things with the franchise agreement, but [we’re] very excited that we were able to bring that to an end and get us to the point where we have started our construction work. … You guys will be our first customers in Washington state. … It’s an honor to have the opportunity to serve the residents here of Ocean Shores.”

Ripple Fiber posted the following on its official Facebook page on Wednesday: “Construction has officially kicked off in Ocean Shores, Washington! This milestone marks Ripple Fiber’s first build in the state and the start of a 126-mile fiber expansion, part of our $250 million investment to bring 100% fiber optic internet to more than 200,000 homes and businesses across Grays Harbor and King counties. With service launching soon, residents can pre-order now and get ready for future-proof internet powered by our 10-gig, 100% fiber infrastructure.”

“Ripple Fiber is excited to bring world-class fiber connectivity to Ocean Shores. Our network will expand digital access across the community, providing high-speed fiber internet to over 10,000 households and businesses,” said Mitzi McMahan, director of government affairs at Ripple Fiber, via a press release issued Wednesday. “The city has provided valuable guidance throughout the process, and residents have been actively engaged, highlighting our shared dedication to delivering resilient, future-ready infrastructure that supports work, education, and everyday life.”

Folk pledged that Ripple Fiber will also become an integral part of the community.

“We are learning about Ocean Shores as we’re coming in … we don’t just want to sell internet and be an internet provider. We want to be part of the community,” Folk said. “Being a valuable community partner is extremely important to our team.”

Folk added that Ripple Fiber is looking to open a local office and put out a call to anyone who is leasing office space.

Ocean Shores City Administrator Scott Andersen thanked the audience for attending and spoke about the growth of the city and the benefits of fiber optic internet.

“It’s a bigger crowd than I anticipated, I’m glad to see that. I’m happy for Ripple Fiber being here. The city is growing. We’re changing in a lot of ways for the better. Our population is growing, we have more private sector businesses that want to come into the city, we’re trying to offer new amenities,” Andersen said. “Fiber will help us in a number of ways, in addition to giving the residents a choice, it will be beneficial for our emergency services and emergency management. I think we’re going to see the city continue to grow. A number of people are telecommuting and this is going to make the process much more possible for a number of people.”

Folk then unveiled the pricing model. The company plans to offer three tiers initially — $65 per month for up to 500 Mbps, $85 per month for up to 1 Gps, and $95 per month for up to 2 Gps. All three include a free modem/router and “white glove” installation. The service also promises to allow the connectivity of an unlimited number of devices. According to the Ripple Fiber website, the 1 and 2 Gps prices can be “locked in for life.” Folk also mentioned that a 5 Gps plan is in the works.

“That speed you’re paying for is what you’re going to get,” Folk said.

Currently, Coast Communications offers home internet service packages ranging from $50 to $150 per month and commercial internet service from $85 to $230 per month. Not all of T-Mobile’s home internet services are available to Ocean Shores residents — the Home Internet Back-Up plan starts at $20 per month, and Home Internet Lite starts at $60 per month. Starlink satellite internet service packages range from $50 to $120 per month.

Folk went on to detail the roll-out process the company is employing to bring fiber optic internet service to Ocean Shores including engineering, approvals, working with service providers to locate existing infrastructure, restoration of any damage or disruption to property and the local ecosystem, quality assurance and custom installation. He also explained how fiber gets from the internet backbone to customer’s homes and said that residents will start seeing notices of construction and advertising soon. The company is hiring sales associates, an office administrator and a sales manager.

The audience was afforded the opportunity to take part in a question and answer session and partake in refreshments.

Folk indicated that Ripple Fiber plans to complete installation throughout Ocean Shores by the end of 2026. The Wednesday press release also stated as the construction phase begins, residents are encouraged to pre-order service online or by phone. … While many have already begun receiving direct updates from Ripple Fiber, homeowners within the current build area can expect to see mailed letters and door hangers sharing more information about what to expect during the construction process. Residents in Ocean Shores who would like to learn more about Ripple Fiber’s offerings can visit ripplefiber.com and follow along on social media (@ripple.fiber) for updates.

The full video of the event is available on North Beach TV’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9zGncZKt-g

Jerry Knaak / The Daily World Ripple Fiber Vice President of Government Affairs and General Manager for Washington State Kevin Folk explains the pricing plans.