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16 <br /> 1 broadband initiatives because the rural counties are speaking up. If you add in the growing <br /> 2 interest statewide in telehealth, internet-based education, workforce development, and <br /> 3 economic development, then they are getting close to a winning coalition. At the national level, <br /> 4 USDA has broadband grants for rural economic development. And NACo's leadership training <br /> 5 is focused on seeing internet as a utility; those sessions included people from AT&T. <br /> 6 <br /> 7 Commissioner Burroughs said one thing the Board can do in the short run is to cost out what it <br /> 8 would take to get rid of the hotspots. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 Jim Northup said that the hotspots work only at locations receiving good, strong cell coverage <br /> 11 from Verizon. They are being loaned to people who do not have internet, either because cable <br /> 12 service is not available on their street or because they cannot afford it. The $480 annual cost <br /> 13 per unit is paid by the County to Verizon. That cost already is negotiated through a State <br /> 14 contract, so the County would not be able to reduce the cost by purchasing more units. The <br /> 15 hotspot does a good penetration into areas that are not served by cable; about 4% of the <br /> 16 County's geographic area does not have internet access, and the hotspots cover about 50% of <br /> 17 that unserved area. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 Chair Dorosin said that as they think about using space on their cell towers as incentives, they <br /> 20 could also be thinking about expanding cell service to underserved areas, and then extending <br /> 21 the hotspots there. <br /> 22 <br /> 23 Jim Northup said, in reply to a question from Commissioner McKee, Verizon could at any time <br /> 24 end the hotspot program. Once they negotiate the State contract they could pull the program. <br /> 25 So it really is a Band-Aid approach. Hotspots are not a long term strategic solution. However, <br /> 26 equipment failure is not a factor in our sustainability analysis. The contract requires Verizon to <br /> 27 replace lost or broken units that have been in our possession for more than three months. There <br /> 28 is no cost to the county. The range is like the wireless router in a home which is limited to about <br /> 29 three rooms away. However, one could supplement a hotspot with a range extender. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 Commissioner McKee wondered whether power line towers and poles could be used in <br /> 32 conjunction with repeaters or range extenders to serve a greater area than the hotspots alone. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 Jim Northup said that the electric utilities are trying to determine whether their easements would <br /> 35 allow the placement of communications infrastructure. Hotspots are pretty much a household <br /> 36 solution and not for a more extended range. <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Commissioner McKee said he was not hopeful about achieving local authority to do more from <br /> 39 either Raleigh or Washington, D.C. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 Commissioner Rich said that decision makers in Raleigh and Washington will either have to <br /> 42 provide a solution or admit that they do not want to supply broadband to rural residents. There <br /> 43 are bills in Congress right now that will tie their hands further: they are about cell towers and <br /> 44 who can use them. They need to be aware of this and she will distribute those bills to everyone. <br /> 45 <br /> 46 Example 3: Infrastructure <br /> 47 The Manager presented on (a) the status quo, (b) anticipated forces of change and likely <br /> 48 consequences, (c) how the County currently plans/prepares/provides for resilience in this <br /> 49 context. <br /> 50 <br /> 16 <br />