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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 - Telecommunications Board - Annual ReportTelecommunications Board 2003 Annual Report The Telecommunications Board met 9 times during 2003. The Board continued the practice of inviting various vendors and members of the telecommunications community to share information and discuss issues. anus The Board heard from Stan Reifschneider of Comcast. Stan explained the schedule and plans for changing the domain name for the attbi.com Internet service.. The new domain name is Comcast.net. Initially the switch was to take place over a 2 month period. The Board suggested a longer transition period, which was later implemented. The Board members also discussed concerns over changes that will result as part of the AT&T Broad band/Comcast merger. Februa Platte River Power Authority hosted the February meeting where the board heard information about the community internet access network. Dr. Patrick Burns from Colorado State University discussed the activities of higher education as related to the delivery of advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services to their constituents. He discussed the National Light Rail project, a national optical network infrastructure being explored by higher education that would run in the terabit speed range. He also discussed other activities that CSU is directly involved in along the Front Range including the Fort Collins Community Network and the Front Range Gigapop. Dr. Burns contends that capacity needs are growing by a factor of 25-30 every three years (5-7 times more than what the incumbents can supply). The discussion included CSU's use of the Internet, wireless capabilities, and voice over IP. Bruce Reynolds of Plate River Power discussed his recent trip to Provo to see their "Fiber to the Home Project". This project is being funded by the City of Provo and supplies Internet access, cable TV, telephony, and other services to the community. ril: David Bonsett from PSD provided the Board with an update on telecommunications activities at the school district. He reported that a new high school and new elementary school are in construction, with plans to put them on the District's fiber network. He also talked about the addition of technology Telecommunications Board 2003 Annual Report Page 1 classes to the high school curriculum. The telecommunications technology has also allowed the District to accommodate different learning methods of students. There is currently a "virtual" high school where kids can get class content via the Internet. Mr. Bonsett also informed the board of plans to shift to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to use the network for some of their voice traffic instead of lines from Qwest. Ma : Bruce Smith, Director of the PUC provided the Board with information about various telecommunications issues. His first topic dealt with an FCC rulemaking that deals with unbundled network elements (UNEs). On December 12, 2001, the Commission initiated a rulemaking to re-examine the Commission's policies on unbundled network elements (UNEs). The rulemaking solicited information about how local exchange carriers provide access to competitors. Another topic was access charge reform. Long distance companies are demanding that charges for intrastate access be modified to be more equitable. Currently, the Colorado PUC has denied the request. Colorado has a firm price cap of $14 on residential service. The price is artificially low, and the actual cost is probably closer to $21 per month. The Legislature will handle the inter -carrier compensation issues. Mr Smith also briefed the Board about phone number portability and the growth of wireless services. Voice over IP (VoIP) is also a topic of interest to the PUC. Mr. Smith believes since it uses telephone switching network, that it is, in fact, a phone service and should be regulated. He noted that more research and information about how the systems work is needed. There are also E911 issues related to VoIP. une: In June, Comcast representative Stan Reifschneider provided an update regarding Comcast activities, specifically regarding the transition from AT&T to Comcast. Comcast completed a strong branding effort in the metro area, with the goal to re-emphasize Comcast's core business of video services, and market the commitment to customer focus. New technologies will be coming that include HDTV (High Definition Television), video on demand, Also at the June Meeting, a citizen addressed the Board, suggesting that the City take the lead in coordinating various utilities that are burying cable. The comments were prompted by his desire to wire his neighborhood for high speed internet access. u ust: In August, the Board heard from Edie Ortega, of Qwest Communications. Qwest is discussing a partnership that would lead to an entry into the video market, and is in discussions with Sprint to move toward a national presence in the wireless sector. These initiatives are part of the company's goal to expand services, as demonstrated by the recent entry into the long distance Telecommunications Board 2003 Annual Report Page 2 telephone service. Ms. Ortega also responded to Board's questions about deployment of advanced services versus universal services. The biggest factor is the ability to recover costs. Qwest has upgraded central offices to be more prepared to roll out services when the demand meets a cost recovery formula. Other issues that will be on the Public Utilities Commission agenda include Voice over I and the use of the public switched network to provide those services. Qwest is concerned about competitive advantage some companies have if they aren't regulated in a similar manner. Rates have been based on technology, not service, in the past, and there may be some efforts in the future to change the regulatory structure. October: Representatives from Comcast visited the Board again in October. The local technical operations manager, Dave Stepisnik, described a new method Comcast used in August to handle the high number of connect requests from the university student population. In some of the larger apartment complexes, Comcast set up a remote connection to their computer system and hired contractors so customers could register and have their cable hooked up on the same day. Also in 2004, Comcast plans to launch a high definition TV product. Tests have yet to be completed in Fort Collins to verify adequate bandwidth for a similar service here. Market information indicates that High Definition is a product that customers want. Also in October, staff provided the Board with information regarding the upcoming franchise renewal process. December: The December meeting was dedicated to discussion about the franchise renewal activities and upcoming work session with City Council. Telecommunications Board 2003 Annual Report Page 3