Oregon Broadband Advisory Council Minutes May 28, 2015

Transcription

1 Oregon Broadband Advisory Council Minutes May 28, 2015 Attendees: Council Members: Miles Ellenby, Mary Beth Henry, Wade Holmes, David Soloos attending for Julie Pearson, Dave Sabala, Mike Smith, and Michael Weidman Staff: Christopher Tamarin Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) Others: Pam Berrian of the City of Eugene, Chris Burns of LSN, Craig Honeyman of League of Oregon Cities, Steve Noel of FirstNet, Eric Schmidt of the Association of Oregon Counties, and Rick Williams of Leidos/FirstNet. Council Business: Vice-Chair Mary Beth Henry called the meeting to order and asked for guest introductions. Minutes Dave Sabala moved that the April 23, 2015 minutes be approved as distributed. Michael Weidman seconded the motion. The Council passed the motion. Updates: National Broadband Activity Chris Tamarin provided references on the following national broadband activity regarding infrastructure deployment, public policy and illustrations of the value of broadband adoption and utilization since the last Council meeting. Broadband Adoption A Leichtman Research Group (LRG) study found that in the first quarter of 2015 the country s largest cable and telephone companies gained almost 1.2 million new highspeed Internet subscribers. Total broadband subscriptions are at more than 88.5 million, with top cable companies having about 53 million broadband subscribers, and top telephone companies having over 35.5 million subscribers. Public Switched Telephone Network migration It was announced by the global industry alliance MEF, the defining body for Carrier Ethernet that, Carrier Ethernet is emerging as the global industry choice for Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) transmission protocol replacement. The MEF is serving as a neutral forum for AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Windstream, Frontier and hundreds 1

2 of wholesale suppliers to work out the best framework for Carrier Ethernet interconnection. OBAC has noted reports in past meetings that Chair Tom Wheeler of the FCC is promoting the migration of users from the legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to new broadband packet switched networks and protocols. It has also been noted that users are already migrating their voice services to wireless and broadband networks, but there is interest in accelerating the move rather than to continue to invest in maintaining legacy networks that are losing customers. Chris Denzin noted that plan as well, and the issue was noted in the OBAC 2014 Report to the Legislature. / FCC Connect America II funding The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it is launching Phase II of the Connect America Fund by offering carriers nearly $1.7 billion to expand and support broadband service in rural areas where market forces alone cannot support deployment. The program aims to expand broadband to over 8.5 million rural Americans. The carriers have four months to decide whether to accept the funding on a state-by-state basis. CenturyLink has a subsidy offer of $514.3 million and Frontier Communications has a subsidy offer of $283.4 million. Comcast s Internet subscribers surpass cable TV customers For the first time, the country's largest cable provider has more Internet subscribers than cable subscribers. The advent of streaming TV is reshaping the cable industry more quickly than expected. Cable providers are beginning to lose entertainment package subscribers to Internet based content providers like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. Several additional online TV alternatives have launched in recent months In the January-March 2015 period, Comcast added 407,000 high-speed Internet customers, the most since early It shed 8,000 video customers. Some companies are trying new types of services. Verizon's FIOS has a customizable, "skinny" bundle that lets you choose groups of channels you want after a basic tier. Satellite TV company Dish's Sling TV service streams channels online. Media companies are experimenting, too HBO is offering a stand-alone online service for people who don't pay for cable. And Apple is reportedly getting closer to launching a TV service. Comcast does have a skinny bundle of its own in "Internet Plus," which sells broadband, about 25 channels including broadcast networks and HBO for $70 to $75 a month after discounts end. But you can't choose your channels. 2

3 Broadband Provider Associations Seek Stay of Title II Decision on Broadband Five associations representing broadband service providers in two separate filings asked the FCC to stay its decision to reclassify broadband as a Title II telecommunications service. One filing came from the American Cable Association and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. The other came from CTIA The Wireless Association, US Telecom, and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, with AT&T and CenturyLink also joining in on that filing Also pending are suits from several broadband provider organizations and some individual providers seeking an overturn of the FCC s Title II decision. 5G Wireless Standards Looking forward to 2020 and beyond, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) announced the launch of a new 5G Focus Group, the aim of which is to identify the elements required for standardization of 5G mobile telecommunications that will enable wireless communication to match the speed and reliability achieved by fiber-optic infrastructure. In addition to significant enhancements to voice and video, the range of 5G mobile applications envisioned by ITU-T, ITU s Standardization Sector, will encompass healthcare to industrial automation, virtual reality, automated driving, and robotic systems controlled with an imperceptible time lag. One-millisecond end-to-end latency is necessary for technical systems to replicate natural human interaction with our environment, a goal that experts say should be within reach of future networks, ITU elaborates in a news release. 5G will power a wide range of new user experiences, but the bottleneck remains the speed of the network, Wen Tong, head of 5G research and development at Huawei, was quoted as saying. Everyone in the ICT ecosystem needs to work together. This is the most important condition for us to realize 5G. The 5G standardization requirements to be developed by the new 5G focus group will form a fundamental aspect of ITU s International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) for 2020 and beyond program. Broadband Opportunity Council On March 23, 2015 a Presidential Memo on Expanding Broadband Deployment and Adoption by Addressing Regulatory Barriers and Encouraging Investment and Training was issued. The memo established the Broadband Opportunity Council (BOC) to be chaired by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). All Executive Branch Departments and Agencies are members of the Council. 3

4 The BOC is requesting public comment on steps that Federal Departments and Agencies can take to help promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition. The Broadband Opportunity Council Notice and Request for Comment may be viewed at Responses to the Request for Comment (RFC) are due by June 10 th. Lifeline Service Craig Honeyman shared that Chair Tom Wheeler of the FCC has announced that he would like to see Lifeline Service expanded beyond basic telephone service to include broadband Internet access. Chair Wheeler expressed his opinion that Internet access had become as essential as a phone connection and ought to be covered by Lifeline. The $1.7 billion program now funds phone service to more than 12 million households; it is financed through a charge applied to phone bills in the United States. Mary Beth added that the digital inclusion community will be commenting on the proposal. State Broadband Activity Chris Tamarin provided references on the following Oregon broadband activity regarding infrastructure deployment, public policy and illustrations of the value of broadband adoption and utilization since the last Council meeting. UM PUC Investigation of the Oregon Universal Service Fund Chris reported that a Workshop was held with interested parties and the Commissioners on Friday, May 22, No action was taken. FCC Broadband Funding Douglas Services (Douglas FastNet) in Roseburg has been provisionally selected by the FCC for rural broadband experiments funding. Douglas Services is one of twelve bidders selected nationwide and may receive $2,375,000 in funding under the program. Dave Sabala reported that Douglas FastNet has secured a qualified bank letter of credit and has been given Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) status by the Oregon PUC, both of which were required to proceed with FCC funding. Dave reported that this will be a fiber-to-the-home construction project to about 2,500 homes in a rural area in Douglas County. 4

5 Wave Broadband to expand its Fiber network in Oregon Wave Broadband is planning to expand its fiber network in Oregon. It currently has a 5,000-mile fiber-optic network spanning the West Coast and plans a major expansion including an additional 500 miles of Oregon fiber in Most of that new fiber will be dedicated to businesses and government agencies, but Wave is also seeking apartments and condos in the Portland area that want superfast, gigabit Internet service, joining what could be a surprisingly competitive market for residential broadband connections. Google Fiber visits Oregon, meets with cities Google Fiber sent representatives to Oregon in May to meet with Portland-area cities where it's contemplating bringing its hyper fast Internet service, but gave no indication when it might make a decision Google Fiber announced in February 2014 that the Portland area was among nine metro areas across the country where it might expand. In the 15 months since Google Fiber announced it might come to the Portland area, CenturyLink, Comcast and Frontier Communications have all increased their local Internet speeds. CenturyLink and Frontier now offer gigabit service to parts of their local markets, and Comcast says it will offer 2 gigabit service in some parts of the country this year. Comcast to offer residential 2 Gig Service in Oregon and SW Washington Comcast has announced plans to provide its new residential multi-gigabit broadband service to more than 650,000 customers later this year. Gigabit Pro is a symmetrical, 2 Gigabit-per-second service that will be delivered via a fiber-to-the-home solution and offered to customers throughout Comcast s footprint in Oregon and Southwest Washington In addition, Comcast will launch Extreme 250, a new 250 Mbps Internet speed tier for local customers. Comcast has invested heavily over the past decade in its network and infrastructure across the Oregon and SW Washington service area, doubling the capacity of its network every 18 months. Additionally, the company has been delivering multi-gig (up to 10 Gbps) Ethernet service to businesses in this area since Comcast is currently testing DOCSIS 3.1, a scalable, national, next-generation 1 Gbps technology solution with plans to begin rolling it out in early When fully deployed, it will mean almost every customer in Comcast s national footprint will be able to receive gigabit speeds over the existing network (a combination of both fiber and coax). 5

6 Presentations: Telehealth Overview Providence Health express Program Rob Kaye of Providence Health and Services provided an overview of the Providence express Program to provide telehealth services. He thanked OBAC for its advocacy in telehealth. Telehealth is growing as an application with the growth of broadband networks and smart devices. There is a confluence of technology, the need for healthcare services, and a regulatory environment that is evolving to support telehealth. There are two basic areas of telehealth; one is delivering care to the patient in the home, and the other is delivering care via telecommunications to patients in clinics and hospitals. Telehealth is consistent with the Triple Aim to improve the quality of healthcare, provide a good experience, and do so at an affordable cost. Providence Health express, launched in 2014, is a web enabled platform that connects consumers to quality health care providers securely where ever they are and at convenient hours. Health care providers can connect with patients via a proprietary encrypted video conference platform enabling patients and the healthcare provider to discuss symptoms, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications and manage care. Over 90% of Providence patients say that this is better than going to a clinic. The cost of a Health express visit is $ The program improves population health by improving timely access to care, preventing escalation of symptoms, and decreasing avoidable high acuity visits. It improves convenience for patients and increases access to care, increases appropriate use of healthcare services, and supports utilization of preventative care services. Patients access care by logging on or walking into a kiosk. An electronic medical record is charted in Epic. Patients and primary care providers (if agreed to by patient) receive an after visit summary to ensure connected care. Patients receive a follow-up phone call and care through Health express when appropriate. Providence has kiosks located in Salem for Oregon public employees, and also at two correctional institutions. There are kiosks at to PGE locations, at two long-term care retirement facilities, and in some Safeway stores. The Health express Mobile Clinic is provided in partnership with the Parish Health Promoter Program. It provides a Nurse Practitioner consult as appropriate via Telehealth and provides health screenings to underinsured population, and includes referrals to PCP care as well as financial assistance programs. Providence Health express has partnered with local communities to provide mobile clinics to serve disadvantaged and uninsured patients who otherwise would not see a healthcare professional. Providence Health express is currently only serving patients in 6

7 Oregon and Washington State, but is hoping to expand to the other Providence states of California, Montana, and Alaska. Providence Health express has been effective in precluding the need for Emergency Room visits by patients significantly saving costs and providing care to patients who otherwise would have done nothing. Miles Ellenby emphasized that telehealth typically does not replace a face-to-face office visit, it replaces a patient not receiving any care at all, or eventually having to go to the ER. The average ER visit costs $1,500. Reimbursement and physician credentialing remain as areas that need further regulatory work to support the continued growth of telehealth. Providence Health express is a good illustration of established telehealth programs that make Oregon a telehealth/telemedicine leader. More information on the Providence express Program may be found at FirstNet Update Steve Noel from FirstNet provided an update on recent activity. Steve, formerly the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) for the state of Oregon, is now the Region X Lead for FirstNet acting as a liaison with the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. FirstNet is locating representatives out across the country in each region to improve communication, consultation and outreach. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho have all completed the first phase of consultation with FirstNet. FirstNet will utilize $7B in initial funding and the nation s existing infrastructure to develop the nationwide broadband public safety network. FirstNet is looking to leverage existing infrastructure where ever economically desirable to drive down costs and expedite build out. The coverage objectives of the states are critical input for FirstNet to identify areas where new network is needed. Satellite technology is being looked at as an additional overlay to cover remote areas Activity Plan State and Territory Consultations continue April Special Notice and Draft RFP released for public comment June Industry meetings July Public comment period closes September Industry meetings concluded September State data collection concluded December RFP for comprehensive network released The FirstNet draft RFP may be viewed at 173e4613e04368c86. 7

8 Once the RFP is released, states will be presented with a State Plan for the network in each state. Governors will make the opt-in / opt-out decision probably in Additional information may be found at and at Work Session: 2015 Legislative Session The status of bills relating to broadband telecommunications was reviewed and discussed. A listing and status of all the bills will be posted on the OBAC website under this meeting date. President s Broadband Opportunity Council Request for Comment On March 23, 2015 a Presidential Memo on Expanding Broadband Deployment and Adoption by Addressing Regulatory Barriers and Encouraging Investment and Training was issued. The memo established the Broadband Opportunity Council (BOC) to be chaired by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). All Executive Branch Departments and Agencies are members of the new Council. The BOC is requesting public comment on steps that Federal Departments and Agencies can take to help promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition. OBAC discussed and edited a draft set of comments that OBAC plans to submit to the new BOC. The comments included the following. OBAC believes that access to competitive high-speed IP telecommunication networks and the Internet is becoming essential for America s institutions, businesses and individual citizens. Action is required to ensure that our nation s broadband needs are met and that broadband benefits are realized. OBAC is submitting the following recommendations in response to Broadband Opportunity Council s request for comment. Mandate that federal government agencies incorporate broadband into planning efforts Create a fast-track approval process for rights-of-way access and co-use of existing facilities on Federal lands for broadband infrastructure Encourage state, local and tribal governments to incorporate broadband into local planning efforts for community and economic development Encourage state, local and tribal governments to proactively plan for the migration to the next generation of public safety broadband communications Utilize the Universal Service Fund to help bring high-speed broadband infrastructure to all areas of the nation 8

9 Promote the development of local and statewide strategies to increase and accelerate the adoption and utilization of broadband Support efforts at the federal level to standardize the process for physician credentialing to provide telehealth services and provide reimbursement for appropriate health care services delivered via telecommunications Promote access for educators and students and to reliable and robust broadband connectivity in both the school and at home Promote ongoing professional development for educators to ensure effective quality implementation and utilization of broadband technology and practice in the classroom Simplify the application process and reduce the administrative overhead of broadband related funding programs so that eligible applicants may fully utilize and leverage those programs to help meet the nation s broadband needs Promote cyber-security of broadband communications systems to mitigate the growing challenge and significant risk exposure facing institutions, businesses and individuals Establish performance metrics for the deployment and utilization of broadband The Broadband Opportunity Council Notice and Request for Comment may be viewed at Responses to the Request for Comment (RFC) are due by June 10. Chris will distribute the letter to BOC with revisions to the Council members via for further review and editing before submitting the comments to BOC OBAC Agenda The Council reviewed its agenda for OBAC continues to be focused the key issues and challenges it identified in its 2014 Broadband in Oregon report. Community Broadband Strategic Planning: The Council through OBDD continues to maintain the Broadband Outreach and Strategic Planning Project website and to make the broadband planning template available for local communities and engage in outreach to promote broadband planning. It was suggested that OBAC prepare articles for the Association of Oregon Counties and League of Oregon Cities newsletters, and also send a letter to the state s economic development organizations to promote local broadband planning. 9

10 Broadband Access and related IT resources in K-12 Schools. Work is in progress by the Oregon Department of Education and Education Super Highway to survey and prepare a report on the current state of broadband access and in-school network infrastructure with results to be reported by August. OBAC will consider holding another Education Summit in the fall, but will wait for the inventory of assets and connectivity assessment. Public Safety: OBAC will remain engaged in the FirstNet consultation process. It was reported that David Soloos is now the acting Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) and also serving as the Oregon Single Point of Contact for FirstNet. Disaster Recovery Planning: OBAC will work with OEM and FEMA to better prepare for post-disaster event communications and coordination between telecommunications service providers and government emergency management agencies. This topic will be a plenary session at the 2015 Oregon Connections Telecommunications Conference. Federal Funding: OBAC staff will work to develop an inventory of broadband related federal funding programs and contacts to be promoted to eligible applicants, and will post them with links on the OBAC website. Cyber Security: The Council will follow and remain engaged in generating awareness of this issue. HB 2996 that would create an Oregon Center of Cyber Excellence is still alive in the 2015 Legislative Session. This topic will be the capstone plenary session at the 2015 Oregon Connections Telecommunications Conference (Joe Franell, Mary Beth Henry, Dave Sabala, and Chris Tamarin are on the conference planning committee). Public Input: Disaster Recovery Planning and Disaster Resilience: Rick William raised the issue of voice communications reliability given a major earthquake event. He shared that there is a database called Aftershock that predicts project power recovery by address. The database indicated that power to Rick s home would be out for three weeks, and that the power to the Local Government Center in Salem would be out for two weeks. The concern is that the legacy Public Switched Telephone Network that is telephone company Central Office powered typically works during power outages. As more end users migrate to Voice over IP and disconnect their PSTN services, communications during power outages and times of emergency will be less reliable as users are unable to use their broadband connections and edge devices and are unable to charge their cell phones. 10

11 Meeting Schedule: The May 28, 2015 meeting of the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council was held at the Local Government Center in Salem. The next meeting will be on Thursday, June 25, 2015 in Salem. Meeting information will be posted on the Council website at * * * 11