Members Norm Thorn, Tony Anderson, and Paul Stover distributed copies of their written summaries of their telecom strategic plans and visions. Copies of these presentations will be e-mailed by Vice Chair Helen Hall to all of the working group members. Members Burnie Dunlap and David Bailey gave verbal presentations. Member Dunlap was not able to provide a written summary because of the sensitive nature of some of the plans that St. Jude is currently implementing.
Chair Burtner distributed to the group several documents pertaining to broadband and gigabit technology. He strongly encouraged working group members to read the papers that had been distributed at the meetings on July 31st and August 14th. He stated that the willingness of governmental, educational and medical institutions in Fullerton to consider the formation of customer-owned and condominium fiber networks may be critical to the committee's deliberations and telecom plans.
Member Thorn volunteered to work with Vice Chair Hall and Member Anderson on an inventory of telecom infrastructure and digital communication devices within city facilities and the school district. Member Scott Price has been asked to work with this group.
Chair Burtner directed Vice Chair Hall and Members Morison and Thorn to develop policies and guidelines pertaining to the implementation of Recommendation 3-3: Plan to integrate the City's information technology networks and telephone systems.
Chair Burtner will seek someone within the academic community who is willing to maintain and expand the database of fiber, especially dark fiber, and wireless infrastructure within the City. To be useful the database should include information such as the nature and number of strands of fiber, the availability of dark fiber for lease or purchase, its accessibility to businesses and institutions, classes of services available, companies willing to provide telecom services, cost of service, location of WiFi access points, etc.
Chair Burtner stated that he will contact Floyd Sabins, President, Fullerton Library Foundation, to encourage the Foundation to take a leadership role in implementing Recommendation #3-6: The City of Fullerton through its public library, should work with Fullerton educational institutions to provide training and make very high broadband Internet service available to community residents at school media centers after normal school hours and at other appropriate public and non-profit facilities. Santa Ana, Pico Rivera, and Huntington Beach, for example, have established community-accessible computer facilities with Internet access at schools, work centers, libraries, community centers and parks throughout lower-income neighborhoods. PC mobiles, similar to book mobiles, may be another creative way of providing computer and Internet training in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Grants are likely to be available to support this type of initiative, and many creative solutions involving partnerships of for-profit and non-profit organizations are possible. For example, the federal government awards 21st Century Learning Center grants to support after school use of computers in school media centers.
It was agreed that an action item for the next meeting should be that each member will continue to present their telecom strategic plans and visions.
Committee members will continue to discuss Technology Infrastructure Task Force (Final Report -Recommendation #3: Develop a telecommunications master plan for the community that incorporates wireless, fiber optic and new hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) technologies.
Chair Burtner will complete slide show on broadband initiatives in other U.S. communities.
Chair Burtner will be scheduling a meeting with CENIC and City Council Members. Dr. West is the Executive Director of CENIC (Corporation for Educational Initiatives in California), which was created by the research universities in California and the Cal State system to promote networking of educational institutions in the state with broadband telecom. One of its goals is to bring 1Gbps Internet service to all Californians by 2110.
