Information Technology Toolkit

Community Leadership/IT Planning

Intellectual Infrastructure

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Applications

Toolkit Committee

Community Strategies and Resources

There are a number of strategies that communities can employ to accelerate the deployment of advanced services.  Communities can 1) use purchasing power to create a buyer's market; 2) develop public-private partnerships; 3) use regulatory and property management powers to encourage competition and the deployment of advanced services;  4) stimulate demand through education and training; and 5) provide services via telecommunications.   The following articles discuss community strategies: 

Getting Online: A Guide to the Internet for Small Town Leaders produced by the National Center for Small Communities, is a useful resource. Chapter 5:  Attracting High-Speed Telecommunications Services includes several examples of communities which have secured high speed telecommunications services. 

Rural Telecommunications:  Why Your Community Isn’t Connected and What You Can Do About It (PDF file) by Thomas Rowley explores community strategies.

Blacksburg Electronic Village Digital Library contains a number of interesting articles and reports.

Paving our Electronic Dirt Roads:  A Call to Action (PDF file),an article in New Rules Journal  by Miles Fidelman discusses community strategies. 

Using Purchasing Power to Create a Buyer's Market

In many communities, state and local governments are among the largest users of telecommunications. How state and local governments obtain their telecommunications services can have a tremendous impact on the local telecommunications market.  When developing strategies for obtaining telecommunications services, local governments should consider how to best meet both government and community telecommunications needs.  If, for example, state and local governments build their own private network, sufficient demand may no longer exist in a community to warrant infrastructure investment by telecommunications providers.  

By aggregating local and/or regional demand local governments can improve a community's buying power.   Including demand from the private sector can strengthen a community's buying power.   Bringing the Internet to the Masses, an article by Andy Oram from Webreview.com,  highlights three successful efforts to accelerate the deployment of affordable broadband services through aggregation of demand.  

Surveys can be used to document current and future IT use in a community.   As an example, you can view the Cheyenne County Technology Committee's community survey (PDF file), business survey (PDF file),  the letter (PDF file) initially sent to businesses to alert them to the survey, and the cover letter (PDF file) sent with the survey.  The results of the survey are available in a pdf document and as a PowerPoint presentation.   

The community of West Point is currently conducting an IT survey and is encouraging participants to fill it out online.   

Through the TINA/WIDEN/NETCOM process, the State of Nebraska is aggregating its demand for telecommunications services.   Local governments and communities have been invited to participate in this process.   

Developing Public-Private Partnerships

Developing public-private partnerships can be a powerful way to encourage the deployment of broadband services.  Communities across the United States have encouraged competition and accelerated the deployment of advanced services by investing in community infrastructure.  

NEW!   The RUS Community Connect broadband grant program is providing funding for deploying broadband in small communities.  

The State of Nebraska has a established a new fund to encourage public-private partnerships which improve telecommunications services in rural communities.  The Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund, established by LB 827, will provide grants to communities for IT infrastructure projects.  The grant program will be administered by the Public Service Commission.    At this time, no further information is available on the Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund.   

The most common publicly owned infrastructure investments are telecommunications duct, dark fiber, and tower facilities.

Duct is plastic pipe placed underground.   Because most of the cost of installing fiber is related to installing the duct, telecommunications providers may be more willing to make the additional investments necessary to offer broadband services.  Publicly owned duct can be installed in conjunction with regular street maintenance, reducing the need to dig up streets. 

Dark fiber is fiber optic cable which has no electronics at the ends to “light” it.   On May 25, 2001, Governor Mike Johanns signed LB 827 (PDF file) which prohibits public entities from providing telecommunications services to consumers, but allows public entities to sell or lease excess dark fiber to telecommunications providers.  

Some communities may own towers for emergency communications systems.   Allowing wireless providers to co-locate facilities makes sense for two reasons.  First, it reduces the cost for the wireless provider, reducing barriers to entry.  Secondly, it reduces the visual blight created by numerous towers.    Wireless providers may also be able to locate antennas on water towers or grain elevators.  

Some communities have made a greater investment in local telecommunications infrastructure.   Andrew Michael Cohill, the director of Blacksburg Electronic Village writes, "The solution is for communities to invest in [the] minimum amount of telecommunications infrastructure needed to create a level playing field for the private sector, and to do no more than that."  Cohill recommends community investment in telecommunications infrastructure including:  duct, dark fiber, co-location facilities, and Multimedia Services Access Point (MSAP).     Co-location facilities provide a place for telecommunications providers to place their equipment.    Communities may want to consider both wireless and wireline co-location facilities.   The MSAP provides a common exchange and switch point for local voice, video, and data services.   By investing in publicly-owned telecommunications infrastructure and leasing that infrastructure to telecommunications providers, communities can encourage private investment in telecommunications infrastructure and accelerate the deployment of advanced services.    

Because the appropriate role of public entities in the development of telecommunications infrastructure continues to be discussed at all regulatory and policy levels, community decisions regarding telecommunications and Internet services should be made with input from legal counsel.

Using Regulatory and Property Management Powers To Encourage Telecommunications Investment

There are three primary areas in which local governments can influence the telecommunications services available in a community through regulatory and property management powers:  right-of-way ordinances, tower siting ordinances, and cable franchise agreements. 

Right-of-Way Ordinances.  Municipalities have authority to adopt reasonable regulations governing the use of the right of way by telecommunications companies.   A municipality may impose an occupation tax and a public highway construction permit fee on the company.  The construction permit fee is designed to cover charges related to the costs incurred by the municipality in providing services relating to the granting or administering the permit.  (See Nebraska Statute Section 86-301.)

Tower Siting Ordinances.  Zoning and building code restrictions regarding tower siting must be applied equally to all carriers and cannot have the effect of barring entry to the local market.     Local regulations can establish co-location requirements for antenna towers, making it easier for new providers to enter the market  and reducing the number of towers needed in a community.    

Cable Franchise Agreements.  When negotiating cable franchise agreements, local governments can regulate rates for basic service tiers, establish a franchise fee, require an institutional network designated for education or governmental use, establish requirements for facilities and equipment, ensure adequate system upgrades are made, and enact customer service standards.    

The following sites provide information on these issues:

Municipal Telecommunications Program is a program of the Center for Civic Networking.    Although dated, this site includes links to a number of good resources.   

Municipal Research and Services Corporation of Washington has sample telecommunications ordinances available.    

ICMA International City/County Management Association offers a number of resources for local governments related to telecommunications. 

Miller & Van Eaton is a law firm specializing in telecommunications law.   Their feature articles highlight areas of interest to communities, including tower siting and cable franchises.      

Pepper & Corazzini, L.L.P. specializes in communications, telecommunications, Internet and online services law.  This site has information on recent court cases and FCC decisions impacting telecommunications.  

FCC Fact Sheets on Cable provides information on cable service rules and regulations. 

FCC Wireless Siting Issues provides some information on wireless siting, including FCC Fact Sheet  #1 New National Wireless Tower Siting Policies, April 23, 1996 (PDF file) and FCC Fact Sheet #2 National Wireless Siting Policies, September 17, 1996 (PDF file).  

Stimulating Demand through Education and Training 

Another strategy that should not be overlooked is stimulating demand through education and training.  Many citizens and business do not fully realize how information technology can benefit them.  Education and training can accelerate the use of information technology within a community.    Because most Nebraska businesses are in the early stages of adopting e-business practices and because mature e-business practices require broadband services, targeting training at local businesses may stimulate the demand for broadband services.   

See the intellectual infrastructure section for additional resources. 

Providing Services Via Telecommunications

An increasing number of services are being made available via telecommunications.  Many educational institutions are providing classes via interactive video or the Internet.  Medical consultations are being performed via telemedicine.  City governments are putting council agendas and minutes, in addition to regulations and property tax information online.   

Providing services online has many benefits, including providing more efficient and timely services to citizens.  Providing services online can reduce costs by cutting down on staff time and mailings.  Using telecommunications to provide services can also impact the local telecommunications market.    When local governments increase their use of telecommunications services, they can provide an incentive for telecommunications providers to make investments in the local infrastructure.   

Broadband Technologies/Industry Information

Glossary of Technology Terms has definitions of technology terms from  Analog to Digital to Zoom. 

About.com's Broadband Site has information on DSL, cable, satellite and wireless technologies.

ZDNET Anchordesk is a great site for a variety of tech news.   Sign up to receive daily e-mail articles. 

Broadband Internet has information on the broadband industry.   

National Telephone Cooperative Association Internet/Broadband Survey provides information on the deployment of broadband and dial-up Internet service by local exchange carriers in the United States.  (PDF document). 

DSLreports.com offers reviews of DSL, a DSL finder, and information about DSL.

xDSL.com has info on xDSL.  Check out the links section. 

Cable Modem Info has information on setting up and using cable and xDSL modems.  

Multichannel News  covers the cable TV and telecommunications industry. 

Telecommunications Reports has information on the telecommunications industry.   

Broadband Wireless Exchange has an incredible amount of information on broadband wireless.   Its list of wireless ISP's by state may be useful for communities looking for a wireless provider.   

Wireless Communications Association International is the fixed broadband wireless industry association.  

Wireless Week covers the wireless industry.

Wireless Internet focuses on wireless Internet. 

Watmag.com has information on the wireless industry.

Telecomresearch.com provides information on the wireless industry. 

Nebraska Rural Institute Sessions on Broadband Access, Sept. 21, 2000 are now available for viewing from the University of Nebraska's Rural Routes site.   (Go to Families/Communities and select the topic Strengthening Communities).  You will need RealPlayer.  

Regulatory And Telecommunications Policy Information

The Federal Communications Commission has an extensive site with information on telecommunications regulations and the Universal Service Fund.  

The Nebraska Public Service Commission can assist with questions regarding state regulatory issues.

The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) publishes policy briefs on rural telecommunications policy issues. 

McClean and Brown is a consulting firm specializing in telecommunications policy.   Their publications provide relatively easy-to-understand explanations of the Universal Service Fund.

The Rural Task Force reviews, evaluates, and recommends alternative universal support mechanisms which affect consumers in rural or insular areas served by rural telephone companies.  

The American Telecommunications Law Association has an extensive telecommunications links page. 

If you would like to suggest a resource, please e-mail abyers@notes.state.ne.us

08/14/2002