Minutes 01-27-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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11 o Orange Public Education Network (OPEN) • Collaboration among Orange County Agencies— Local Governments, Education, Utility Providers ***Suggestion by Board: Purchase more hot spots Lobby Legislators ➢ Board of Commissioners Policy Priority 2016 ➢ Priority Legislative Agenda Item In reply to a question from Commissioner McKee, Travis Myren said "traditional" broadband services are those not provided through a satellite connection. In reply to a question from Commissioner Price, Travis Myren said the estimate of approximately 3,000 households without traditional broadband access came from knowledge that 6% of the county's population does not have a connection. The 6% comes from replies to a County survey in which 94% of the people who responded said they have a traditional connection. Jim Northrup, the County's Chief Information Officer, said that participation in the survey was promoted through radio spots and accessible via paper ballots at the town halls and libraries, and an online link. Travis Myren said it was not a comprehensive mail survey. They relied upon these venues to collect the data. Commissioner Price said she knows where the broadband cables run throughout the county, but that it is difficult to determine who is not being served. Time Warner will put the cable in the ground but they will not connect to people's homes. Commissioner Jacobs asked for either an explanation today or for the Board's representatives to the Schools/County Collaboration Work Group to seek an explanation, of the school districts' disinterest in the County's hotspot program. Bonnie Hammersley said she would follow-up on that. In reply to a question from Chair Dorosin, John Roberts, County Attorney, said the County's authority to provide broadband access is unclear. A UNC School of Government professor has written that, on one hand, counties may own infrastructure and lease excess capacity but, on the other hand, counties may not own infrastructure and lease excess capacity. He said he thought there are ways to get some lines in the ground and get internet capacity to people who need it. But the County may not function as an internet service provider and it is open for debate how the County may participate in partnerships with private providers. They will have to do some experimentation and he has some ideas about how it may work. He said that Chair Dorosin's earlier analogy, as follows, was a good one: the County can lay the pipe but cannot provide the water or connect the pipe to people's homes. Commissioner Rich said the issue is that corporations do not want to compete with local governments because counties and municipalities can lower the price of this utility that the private sector is providing. Chair Dorosin asked how municipalities are allowed to provide free Wi-Fi access in their downtowns. John Roberts explained that there is nothing under law requiring a local government from putting in an access code or password at a public hot spot; on paper the local government is the primary user of that access. Jim Northup said it is allowed because the local government is not charging people to use the Wi-Fi; there is no customer base. We can't bill for the service, but the Wi-Fi in all of their facilities fits within the law, and everyone is doing it.