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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 - Telecommunications Board - Annual ReportTelecommunications Board 2006 Annual Report The Telecommunications Board held 11 meetings during the course of 2006, and successfully addressed the goals identified in the 2006 Work Plan. The focus of meetings the first quarter was the completion of the Comcast Franchise Agreement and customer service standards. In January, the Board took a final look at the proposed Franchise agreement, and recommended to City Council that the agreement be approved. February and March meetings were spent reviewing customer service standards, discussion reporting requirements with Comcast, and discussing the customer privacy aspects of Comcast's policies In March, the Board began inquiring and information gathering regarding municipal Wi-Fi (wireless "mesh" networks). The City's CIO, Tom Vosburg, met with the Board and briefed them on the approach the City was taking to investigating the technology, determining the business need, and how wireless networking might benefit the community, what other Front Range cities were doing, etc. The Board provided Mr. Vosburg with some input, and asked to be kept informed of progress. The Board also invited a representative from Tropos, a company that recently installed a network in Longmont, to provide information about how their product was being deployed and used in Longmont. Staff has provided the Board updates throughout the year on the activities of the project team assembled to look into the feasibility of getting this type of service in Fort Collins. Staff also provided information to the Board about free wireless service that is being provided to Public Library patrons, using free High Speed Internet (HSI) service from Comcast Cable. The Board also met with Qwest and Comcast, two of the major telecommunications providers for Fort Collins to hear about new services and products. Qwest representatives talked to the Board about a model franchise recently approved by the Greater Metropolitan Telecommunications Consortium (GMTC), that would be used should Qwest begin providing video service over phone lines. Qwest also discussed a trial deployment taking place in Meade, Colorado, to evaluate the use of wireless networks for providing services. They fielded questions from the Board on service enhancements or expansion in the Fort Collins area, and reported to the Board on meetings with City officials related to municipal Wi-Fi networks. Comcast visited the Board in September. The acquisition of the Adelphia system in Colorado Springs by Comcast led to some restructuring within the company, and the new General Manager, Mike Trueblood briefed the Board on recent service enhancements, including video on demand, high definition digital channels, and digital voice service. The Board received information on subscriber response to the recently implemented low cost basic cable service tier; The Board also followed up with the progress of the Public Access program, inviting Gerri Becher of Fort Collins Public Access Network (FC-PAN) to two separate board meetings. Ms. Becher provided the Board with information on FC-PAN's non-profit status, the steps the organization was taking to provide more information to the public about the availability of public access and plans to train citizens on the use of video equipment. Video production and programming guidelines were shared with the Board, as well as information provided as to the status of the PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) fund distribution process. Included in these plans were how the equipment purchased with PEG funds would be used to further the goals of the Public Access group.. Herb Saperstone was successful in finding an intern to take on a marketing project that was part of the 2006 workplan. A Fort Collins High School studentlintern met with the Board to discuss the project, to research various service providers in the area, identify the the type of service they provide, and collect contact information that the Board hopes will help Fort Collins citizens understand their options for receiving telecommunications services. The intern will meet with the Board in 2007 to report on her project.