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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Annual See's candy sales start Friday Mt. 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Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... Ashland Calendar ... Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... INTERNET SERVICE AFN plans to step up its game Director says change is necessary for longterm survival By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am » RELATED CONTENT • Ashland repeats as a Google 'eCity' • Ashland looks to boost Internet businesses • Ashland appoints AFN leader • AFN to boost its Internet speeds » Social News Ashland Fiber Network has had its successes, along with well-publicized financial issues. To have more of the first and fewer of the second, something has to change, says its director. "We've been playing catch-up to our competition," says Mark Holden, Ashland's director of electric utility, telecommunications and information technology. "They're usually one step ahead of us and we need to change our focus." AFN, which provides Internet services to 4,000 customers in Ashland, has struggled with growth and net revenue since its creation. On Oct. 6, Holden presented the City Council with a proposed strategic plan containing two options for the telecommunications company moving forward.   "We could continue as is while working on lowering our cost of Internet," he says. "The downside to that option is that, eventually, we're going to be overcome by our competitor's technology." The other option is for AFN to invest in new technology in order to remain competitive in the market place. That's AFN's recommended path and the option the council preferred to take.  "History shows that what we've been doing is not allowing us to be as successful as we could be," Holden says. "We're generating enough revenue to sustain ourselves, but not enough to grow." The new plan comes from an update to a plan created in 2010. Holden says that the old plan had aspects that made little business sense and changes were needed to be able to move forward.  One of the major changes, regardless of which option is ultimately chosen, is a change in marketing.  "We've been in the background as far as marketing is concerned," Holden says. "We've let the Internet service providers that we contract with do that battle. Now we need to be a little more aggressive in the market place." AFN is also planning a change in where it seeks out customers. "We over-invested initially," Holden says. "We built the network everywhere with the expectation that everyone would use it. Now, we plan to build the network in places that will ensure revenue." While AFN has many changes to be made, the venture is not without successes. With 119 miles of coax cable and 21 miles of fiber in Ashland, Holden says that AFN played a key role in Ashland being named Google's "eCity" for the state of Oregon. Another success is how AFN has influenced its competition. "There is a demand for more advanced services here in Ashland," Holden says. "These are services that, because of our population density, wouldn't be provided here. With the advancements we've made in the past, our competitors had to step up their game and provide some of these services. It's really a great thing for all of Ashland, regardless of service provider."  Holden says that AFN will do more market analysis moving forward. "We've historically focused on our products and getting those products that we have to the customer," he says. "We want to shift that focus to determining what the customer needs and tailor the product to that." AFN's plan expects to increase Internet bandwidth by 2016 and provide more advanced services by 2017. The cost of these improvements would be a one-time investment of $250,000.  "AFN is a real asset for the community," Holden says. "With a little more investment, it can continue to be a strong asset in the future." The City Council will discuss the budget implications of AFN's strategic plan and possibly approve it during its next business meeting. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in the Ashland Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main St. Email reporter Ian Hand at [email protected] or call him at 253-722-4071. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/IanHand_DT. By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ian Hand Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 4, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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