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JuneTimesEditorialJune 26 Northwest Arkansas Times editorial taking a hard look at the Telecom Board challenges. Times Editorial : Stay tuned... Northwest Arkansas Times Posted on Sunday, June 26, 2005 URL: http://www.nwanews.com/story/nwat/29547 Attempting to make sense of the Fayetteville Telecommunications Board isn’t exactly like an afternoon stroll in the park. Upon reading stories about it, and listening to residents comment about those goals this entity is (or isn’t) accomplishing, at least one thing becomes distinctly clear: The task before this body is laced in myriad technical complications that should leave any sane person reaching for their aspirin in no time. For the longest time, it has been difficult just to attract people to the seven-member board. Heck, the last time the telecom board met was on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day. Perhaps we’re making progress, though. A full complement of board members is scheduled to hold the panel’s first meeting in six months on June 29. On the eve of the telecom board’s return to life, it’s chief concern perhaps should not be what members will gather to discuss, but the reality that virtually nobody in the city of Fayetteville seems to understand why this board exists and doesn’t understand its significance. There has been general gnashing of teeth by some that this panel gets short shrift within the city administration. One member told our reporter he resigned in frustration, sick of the inertia exhibited with issues coming before the Telecom Board and the lack of response from city officials when board members sought information. Others say this panel is vitally important, given the ever-growing technology of telecommunications. This panel, some say, should be at the forefront of defining how Fayetteville ventures further into the telecommunications arena. Taking a look back to its origins, it turns out a description of the old cable board (which began in the early 1990s) is remarkably similar to its current form. Its basic goal a generation ago was to ensure the city’s cable franchises were carried out and advise the city on cable matters. (It’s name was eventually changed to the Telecommunications Board five years ago.) Cable Administrator Marvin Hilton tells us there are plenty of issues, from wireless technology to the use of public rights-of-way, to keep an engaged Telecom Board busy. Arguably at the top of the to-do list would be Fayetteville’s franchise agreement with Cox Communication, which expired five years ago but hasn’t been renewed. The city and the cable television company have so far simply agreed to keep going without a contract. Perhaps the fact that the Telecom Board hasn’t met in almost six months, with vacancies hampering its work, is a sign that the powers that be don’t quite grasp why we have a Telecom Board. It doesn’t take long in talking to advocates of the Telecom Board to understand why it’s easy to fog over when one tries to understand its purpose. Susan Cromwell, the panel’s chairman, described the purpose of today’s Telecommunications Board as: 1. Immediate, short-term focus of policies to govern the public access, education and government channels. 2. Strategic and long-range planning on behalf of Fayetteville. 3. Developing a regulatory framework to help guide the technology tomorrow’s Fayetteville will depend on. Cromwell says the board is set to face multiple (and complicated) issues in its immediate future, from primary network partnerships to high-end bandwidth capacity. But what does all of this mean to the regular consumer? Cromwell acknowledges that the issues of "media convergence" are tough to grasp, but it’s important that Fayetteville be deliberate in addressing the issues, making sure local residents and city government can take advantage of the advances of technology. Just as Fayetteville residents and leaders have high expectations for roads, parks, etc., Cromwell says, there’s no reason Fayetteville should expect anything less in the realm of telecommunications. That all sounds good. What the Telecom Board needs from the city is a clear, public delineation of its responsibilities and the support necessary for it to achieve those purposes. Nobody wants a board that systematically results in frustration or a lack of results. That’s a waste of time. But if Cromwell’s enthusiasm is any indication, there is work to be done for the benefit of Fayetteville and its residents. Perhaps with renewed interest from the city administration, all the pieces can fall into place to make Copyright © 2001-2004 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com |