Orcas Online, providing internet to the San Juan Islands for the last 25 years, recently expanded to Oak Harbor through Whidbey Online.

“We provide the local heart and technical experience, while they provide the proven technical backbone and decades of expertise,” Whidbey Online project manager Ron Claus said in an email.

Fixed wireless solutions used by the provider mean that homes within view of any of Whidbey Online’s network sites can receive multi-gig internet through the air, eliminating the need for cables. The provider serves the majority of Oak Harbor right now and plans to expand its service area throughout the island in the future.

Claus said Whidbey Online’s pricing is competitive but emphasized that its service is what sets it apart from large corporations. The provider is easily reachable, he explained, and tends to outages even outside of business hours.

According to its website, Whidbey Online also “specializes in supporting part-time residents,” allowing customers to “suspend (their) internet and billing” while they are traveling.

“We are locals who care, and we believe our community deserves high-quality service paired with a personal touch,” Claus said.