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Expanded Web speed the goal ; Local units in pilot program to determine how to improve service [Topeka Capital Journal (KS)](Topeka Capital Journal (KS) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Surprising as it might seem, there are areas of Shawnee County that don't have adequate access to the Internet. "We have students, families and patrons of 372 who are currently underserved or unable to access quality and affordable broadband," said Tim Hallacy, superintendent of Silver Lake Unified School District 372. This, he said, at a time when teaching and learning -- not to mention business interests -- rely heavily on quality Internet access. With Shawnee County's selection as a pilot community for a statewide initiative to address that issue, a group of local taxing entities hopes to figure out exactly where those areas are and what they can do collectively to improve services. In so doing, the entities hope to set a course for the community's future, enhancing education, work force, public safety and financial stability by connecting to the digital economy. "We're going to be exposed to a lot of tools to help us learn more about what broadband means to our daily lives," said Shawnee County Commissioner Shelly Buhler, immediate past chairwoman of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council. "I don't know what the end result will be, but I think it's important that we're at least discussing it." Kansas Statewide Broadband Initiative Shawnee County has been chosen by the Kansas Department of Commerce's Statewide Broadband Initiative as a Local Technology Planning Pilot. Shawnee County will have access to national consultants, hired by the state through a federal grant, to help formulate a plan for enhancing broadband services. So far the state has secured Norton County, Dodge City/Ford County and Fort Scott/Bourbon County in addition to Topeka/Shawnee County as pilot communities, said KSBI program director Stanley Adams. The commerce department didn't have enough in the federal grant for every county, so it has selected about six counties to assign consultants and develop blueprints from which other communities can work, he said. "We want to make sure economic development plans that are in the process include broadband initiatives," Adams said. Shawnee County's selection came in part through the work of the ICC, a group of 11 taxing entities that has been studying the topic of broadband since December 2012. The ICC includes Shawnee County, Topeka, the library and airport agencies, and five school districts. The body can't enter into contracts, form policy or employ people, but it has been charged with working together to improve the community and identify common areas of need. At least three of the ICC members just this week approved sending a letter of support of becoming a pilot community to the commerce department. Another four entities indicated the letter would be placed before their board next month. When the work is done -- the reports should be finished by the end of the summer -- pilot communities will know what the local needs are, have determined priorities and agreed on next steps. Actually getting the services, Adams said, is a step beyond the pilot program and likely will rely on public-private partnerships. "Ultimately we're trying to create a framework for a community to have a plan," he said. "None of our funding goes toward paying for any type of infrastructure." Funding for local project comes from $6 million in federal funds the state department of commerce has secured over the past several years. The lion's share of that, Adams said, has gone toward data collection and mapping of broadband services throughout the state. More information on the results of that aspect of the grant can be found at maps.kgs.ku.edu/broadband_home/. Broadband access Roughly 5 percent of households in the state don't have access to broadband, Adams said. The bigger hurdle for Kansas, he said, is increasing utilization. "We need to make sure we are set up for taking advantage of the digital economy," he said. "Communities that look at broadband technology as a competitive advantage will do well." That includes Topeka and Shawnee County, Adams said. People's perception of Topeka as a metropolitan area without those problems is one of the reasons it will make a great case study for the pilot, he said. "You wouldn't think that there are any 'broadband gaps' in Topeka, but there are," Adams said. "Topeka is not that different from other rural areas. You don't have to go very far outside the city to run into some chronic availability issues." The main reason for the speed gaps isn't a mystery, he said. "It's an economic viability for service providers to build a network in sparsely populated areas," he said. Cox Communications constantly is working to update its speeds, said Coleen Jennison, director of governmental affairs. Those decisions, she said, typically are based on the market need. "One of the issues we face statewide is, there are still some unserved areas, even in Shawnee County," Jennison said. "As a business, we have to make the business case to serve those customers." One of the many things the pilot program is designed to do, Adams said, is to help communities find a way to make a better business case for increased speeds. Typically, he said, that goes for uploading speeds more so than downloading speeds -- an important difference if, for example, you run a business out of your home and rely on the cloud to back up information. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |