Minutes 01-27-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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14 Commissioner Price said there are efforts taking place at the state and national levels to give local governments authority to expand internet access into underserved areas. But they are not there yet. The N.C. Association of County Commissioners has been getting more support for its broadband initiatives because the rural counties are speaking up. If you add in the growing interest statewide in telehealth, internet-based education, workforce development, and economic development, then they are getting close to a winning coalition. At the national level, USDA has broadband grants for rural economic development. And NACo's leadership training is focused on seeing internet as a utility; those sessions included people from AT&T. Commissioner Burroughs said one thing the Board can do in the short run is to cost out what it would take to get more of the hotspots. Jim Northup said that the hotspots work only at locations receiving good, strong cell coverage from Verizon. They are being loaned to people who do not have internet, either because cable service is not available on their street or because they cannot afford it. The $480 annual cost per unit is paid by the County to Verizon. That cost already is negotiated through a State contract, so the County would not be able to reduce the cost by purchasing more units. The hotspot does a good penetration into areas that are not served by cable; about 4% of the County's geographic area does not have internet access, and the hotspots cover about 50% of that unserved area. Chair Dorosin said that as they think about using space on their cell towers as incentives, they could also be thinking about expanding cell service to underserved areas, and then extending the hotspots there. Jim Northup said, in reply to a question from Commissioner McKee, Verizon could at any time end the hotspot program. Once they negotiate the State contract they could pull the program. So it really is a Band-Aid approach. Hotspots are not a long term strategic solution. However, equipment failure is not a factor in our sustainability analysis. The contract requires Verizon to replace lost or broken units that have been in our possession for more than three months. There is no cost to the county. The range is like the wireless router in a home which is limited to about three rooms away. However, one could supplement a hotspot with a range extender. Commissioner McKee wondered whether power line towers and poles could be used in conjunction with repeaters or range extenders to serve a greater area than the hotspots alone. Jim Northup said that the electric utilities are trying to determine whether their easements would allow the placement of communications infrastructure. Hotspots are pretty much a household solution and not for a more extended range. Commissioner McKee said he was not hopeful about achieving local authority to do more from either Raleigh or Washington, D.C. Commissioner Rich said that decision makers in Raleigh and Washington will either have to provide a solution or admit that they do not want to supply broadband to rural residents. There are bills in Congress right now that will tie their hands further: they are about cell towers and who can use them. They need to be aware of this and she will distribute those bills to everyone. Example 3: Infrastructure The Manager presented on (a) the status quo, (b) anticipated forces of change and likely consequences, (c) how the County currently plans/prepares/provides for resilience in this context. Following a stretch break, Travis Myren presented on the status quo, forces of change, and resilience measures planned or being taken by the County with regard to infrastructure. Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation: Infrastructure Status Quo