EPHRATA — The Grant County Public Utility District commission approved a license agreement Monday with Northwest Open Access Network, or NoaNet, for use of a portion of the district's dark fiber facilities.

The telecommunications facilities license agreement, requested by NoaNet, will exist on a month-to-month basis. NoaNet agrees to pay a non-recurring charge of $42,000 and a monthly fee of $2,100.

NoaNet, formed by Washington's PUDs, brings high-speed telecommunications services to rural communities for purposes of economic development. Grant County PUD is a founding member of NoaNet.

Also Monday, the commission approved a telecommunications facilities license agreement with OnFiber Communications, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qwest Communications Corp. The agreement is also for use of dark fiber facilities, unused fiber optic strands in the utility district's backbone-transport network.

Qwest agreed to a 60-month license agreement with the PUD. The company pays a non-recurring charge of $35,000 and a monthly cost of $2,000.

Both customers plan to utilize dark fiber strands in the west portion of Grant County, near Quincy.