The Oregon Broadband Advisory Council (OBAC) submitted its report, Broadband in Oregon, on Monday to the Oregon Legislative Assembly in accordance with ORS 285A.070 (sec 4).
This is the council’s fourth report on the affordability and accessibility of broadband technology in all areas of the state and on the extent of broadband technology use in healthcare, energy management, education and government. The report is available online on the council website.
“This is one of the most comprehensive state-level reports on broadband that is available. It is a wealth of information and a great resource for anyone who is interested in leveraging technology to provide a better quality of life, effective civic engagement, and more economic opportunity”, said Joseph Franell, chairman of the OBAC and CEO and general manager of Eastern Oregon Telecom in Hermiston.
The report highlights key broadband challenges and opportunities in Oregon including: the need for community broadband strategic planning, broadband access and related IT resources in K-12 schools statewide, public safety communications, disaster recovery planning, federal funding, cyber-security, and Tier 1 peering.
It emphasizes that access to competitive high-speed broadband telecommunication networks and the Internet has great value for institutions, businesses and individuals, and that broadband continues to grow in importance as an asset and strategic tool available for economic and community development in Oregon. The deployment of this infrastructure, however, must be followed by the adoption and utilization of the technology and enabled services to realize its benefits. Infrastructure does not produce value unless it is used.
The Oregon Broadband Advisory Council was created in the 2009 Legislative session to help ensure the implementation of statewide broadband strategies. The mission of the Council is to encourage coordination and collaboration between organizations and economic sectors to leverage the development and utilization of broadband for education, workforce development, government and healthcare, and to promote broadband adoption by citizens and communities.
The council members represent Oregon’s cities, counties, telecommunications service providers, tribes, educators, economic development organizations, public safety agencies, healthcare providers, e-government, the Public Utility Commission, the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. Members of the council were appointed by the governor, the speaker of the house and the president of the Senate.
