To understand Whidbey Online, it is good to take a look at Orcas Online, where we got our experience and know how to be ready to roll out as an internet service provider.
We started in 1996 as a creative content, website development agency and a hosting company. In 2025, our network serves a myriad of San Juan Islands including Orcas Island, Blakely Island, Waldron Island, and several of the lower Canadian Gulf Islands. Now we are adding Whidbey Island to the mix.
Rick Boucher, co-owner of Orcas Online, launched Northbeach Computers in 1992, specializing in computer repair with a strong interest in the internet as it began to roll out in the United States. Rick helped facilitate the arrival of dial-up in San Juan County through a Bellingham-based technology company called Pacific Rim. He was also delving into HTML and website development at the time.
In 1996 Rick and his business partner Gerry Baker founded San Juan Web, and its first projects were undertaken on behalf of the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce.
Rick and Gerry began designing websites at the same time and were forerunners in the industry for local innkeepers, businesses, and entrepreneurs whose advertising strategies were about to move from newspaper and other print media to full online promotion. We also developed our own sites, polishing our skills and creating the original suite of sites now anchored by OrcasIsland.org.
As work in website development continued to grow, we were frustrated by the very low upload speeds of local dialup internet so Rick began to pursue higher speeds via T-1 lines, a very expensive proposition at the time.
In 2000, we started Orcas Online, Inc. to increase our bandwidth and began offering local dial-up service in the local community to offset the high-cost T-1 lines. Next Orcas Online added DSL service to its portfolio and Stu Baker came on board, marking the beginning of our successful foray into the delivery of wireless internet.
Nathan began working for Orcas Online as a teenager in the early 2000’s; Mindy Nunez became part of of the team in 2012.
In 2017, as Wireless technology revolutionized the company’s ability to meet increasing demands for higher speed and robust bandwidth at mainland prices, Orcas Online became a Wireless Internet Service Provider, or WISP, exclusively, leaving DSL technology behind.
In 2024, Orcas Online, Inc. Partnered up with Kris Lohman and his talented family to begin planning our expansion on Whidbey Online.
In 2025, with Kris as managing partner, we are ready to use our experience and skills to do what we have learned to do best: provide our neighbors (YOU!) with fast, reliable wireless internet service for a reasonable price
We are now proud and ready to provide the Oak Harbor community with quality, high-speed internet with a minimum of fuss, reasonable installation and equipment fees, and our model of personable local service perfected over 25 years of service on Orcas Island.
We specialize in supporting part-time residents with seasonal service options, allowing traveling customers to suspend internet and billing while they are away; a unique policy among internet service providers in the San Juan Islands community.
As a company, our staff and business actively support numerous non-profit organizations and charity events on Orcas– as well as individual local islanders in need, and are looking forward to doing the same on Whidbey. We are proud sponsors of the Oak Harbor High School Robotics Team and look forward to making our contributions to the Oak Harbor Community at large!
As many as seventeen people are employed at Whidbey Online and Orcas Online in various roles including office staff, tree climbers, janitorial staff, groundskeepers and other service providers in our communities!
Need internet in Oak Harbor? Give us a call to see if your property is in our network range; we are happy to assist you!
See you around!
Gerry Baker and Rick Boucher
Owners, Orcas Online, Inc.
Kris Lohman
Managing Partner, Whidbey Online
