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Manager's Memo - For the Week Ending August 27, 2010
Broadband Summit Set: MTIA and other stakeholders are putting the final details on the Missouri Broadband Summit set for October 26-27 at the Truman Hotel in Jefferson City. The conference, funded through a federal broadband mapping grant administered by the Missouri Office of Administration, will bring together a diverse group from across the state to discuss the potential opportunities broadband presents and what barriers exist to further deployment. Look for more details coming soon.
Broadband Map Nearing Completion: State IT leaders and a team of geographic specialists are nearing completion of a project to map broadband availability in Missouri. State officials must submit their final work product to NTIA on October 1, and will be contacting providers in the next two weeks to get a final verification of the company-specific data displayed on the map.
Please be aware that the turn-around time to respond to the state will be one week or less, and it is very important that the map display the most accurate information possible. MTIA members are encouraged to make a quick and complete response to verify their data -- thanks for your cooperation.
Change Sought in Video Law: The Missouri Municipal League plans to ask state lawmakers to amend the 2007 video franchise law when the General Assembly convenes in January. The MML is concerned that some carriers are not providing proper access to local public, educational, and governmental (PEG) television channels. The group said that Charter and Mediacom have singled out PEG channels for discriminatory treatment since the Video Service Providers Act was passed. City officials also want to restore funding from video carriers for PEG channels that will sunset under the law in 2012.
Young Advocates for USF: Tom Young, general manager of MTIA member company Kingdom Telephone Company, highlighted the importance of the federal USF program in helping rural carriers expand broadband services in a column published Sunday in the Columbia Daily Tribune. Young also discussed concerns over provisions of the National Broadband Plan that would set a 4 megabits-per-second goal for rural areas.
Industry Partner of the Week: MTIA member company Zone Telecom, Inc. provides a diversity of telecommunications products, including a wide selection of voice, IP and data services, to Missouri telecommunications carriers. For more information contact Sue Justesen, client services manager, at 435-462-7500 or visit them online at www.zonetelecom.com.
The "Dog Days" of August: Does this month seem extra long to you? There is a good reason. August 2010 has five Sundays, five Mondays and five Tuesdays ---- it happens once in 800 years. I'll bet you feel better now --- have a good weekend.
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