MOSES LAKE - While standing in front of their home, Rick and Pat Darling were watching a crew dig holes to lay underground fiber cable.

The Moses Lake couple said they are excited about the option of having high-speed Internet, via the Grant County PUD's fiber-optic system.

"I have dial-up now; it's slow," Rick Darling said Thursday.

Depending on the price, he plans on signing up for service through an Internet service provider.

He said work crews were in his Cascade Valley neighborhood late Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

He called the crews "very nice and conscientious" in their efforts.

Crews with Atlantic Engineering and Spokane Ditch & Cable are working on the project for Grant PUD.

Atlantic Engineering is the subcontractor that designs and builds the network, said Russ Brethower, Grant PUD's fiber optic outside plant manager.

The district is in the third year of a three-year contract with the company.

Seven crews, or about 25 people, were working Thursday, he explained. Nearly all of the crew members were local hires.

Brethower explained there is lots of open land in the Cascade Valley, near Moses Lake. At least half of the land is designated for future home building, according to filings with the county.

Cardell Howell, of Spokane Ditch & Cable, said the directional drill he is using has a tool head with a computer, which provides a depth.

They can drill as deep as 30 feet, but were only drilling between 25 to 36 inches on the property they were working on Thursday.

"We take a best guess on what it will be 30 years from now," he commented.

There are plans to build a fiber hut for the neighborhood's electronics near the Cascade Valley Fire Station.

Grant PUD has provided conduit to developers and homebuilders since 2001, which helped the district "tremendously," Brethower said.

"We are finding half of the installers have conduit," he said.

It is helpful because crews do not have to dig up a yard to reach a home.

Atlantic Engineering has received high praise from homeowners for restoring property to its original state after installing fiber, Brethower said.

This year, $6.5 million was budgeted for project construction. An additional $1.1 million was budgeted to hook up customers in areas with access.

During work in the neighborhoods, homeowners have been visiting with crews.

"The contractor is the best sales person for the network," he said. They carry cards listing service providers for the network for residents.

"That's why we're getting really nice take rates in some of these areas," he said.

He said Diamond Point residents in Cascade Valley should receive fiber service by mid-June. Depending on the area, the work is about a four-month process.

Residents are told about the upcoming work as it starts, with a list of service providers, explained Sarah Morford, a district spokesperson.

About 2,000 homes will be connected in Moses Lake this year, she said.