City of Abilene and Surrounding Counties Technology/Telecommunications Infrastructure Study. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 City of Abilene and Surrounding Counties Technology/Telecommunications Infrastructure Study Table of Contents Background... 1 Objectives and Methodology... 1 The City of Abilene: Background... 2 Telecommunications Infrastructure: A Major Component to Economic Development and Smart Cities... 2 Telecommunications Needs for Businesses: A Generic Perspective... 3 Basic Components to Telecommunications Infrastructure... 4 Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Abilene and Taylor County... 4 Brownwood and Brown County Coleman and Comanche Counties Sweetwater (including Mitchell, Nolan and Runnels Counties) Snyder (Fisher, Kent, Scurry and Stonewall Counties) Haskell, Knox, and Jones Counties Breckenridge (Shackelford, Stephens and Throckmorton Counties) Eastland and Cisco (Callahan and Eastland Counties) Conclusions and Recommendations Key Strengths in Abilene s Telecommunications Infrastructure: Issues to Consider in Abilene s Telecommunications Infrastructure: i -

2 Background City of Abilene and Surrounding Counties Technology/Telecommunications Infrastructure Study The City of Abilene and the Development Corporation of Abilene (DCOA) have embarked on an economic development initiative to attract, incubate and sustain technology-centric businesses in the city. In order to achieve this objective, it has become essential that the City provide adequate supporting infrastructure in the areas of telecommunications, power, water and other utilities. This particular study focuses on the telecommunications infrastructure within designated areas of Abilene and its surrounding towns and counties namely Taylor, Eastland/Cisco, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Coleman and Comanche, Sweetwater, Snyder, Haskell, and Knox. Objectives and Methodology The primary objective of this study is to assess the telecommunications infrastructure in Abilene, Texas and its surrounding counties and its role and ability to support Abilene s economic development initiatives. As part of this assessment, basic components of telecommunications infrastructure in Abilene and surrounding areas were identified and evaluated, with strengths and weaknesses highlighted. Methodology: Identified the key telecommunications needs of businesses. Developed a list of communication technologies, which are important for a metropolitan area to have to attract business and speed economic development-- (telephone, DSL, cable, cellular, high speed data circuits, and high speed internet access). Ascertained the availability of the service in Abilene and the surrounding counties and identified providers providing the service. Compared the availability of infrastructure and service in Abilene and its surrounding counties. Telcordia s assessment primarily relied on secondary research materials, including the resources of the Federal Communications Commission, the state if Texas public utility commission, websites of telecommunications service providers and other on-line resources. In addition, Telcordia utilized its internal proprietary telecommunications data bases (LERG Local Exchange Routing Guide) and subject matter experts in the areas of telecommunications networks and services

3 The City of Abilene: Background The City of Abilene is located in west-central Texas, connected east-west by Interstate Highway 20, US Highway 80 and State Highway 36 and north-south by US highways 83, 84 and 277. It is approximately 180 miles west of Dallas/Forth Worth and is the center of a 22 county area also known as the Texas Midwest or the Big Country. Abilene has a population of approximately 116,000, with 5,000 living in the surrounding area of Taylor County. According to the National Association of Regional Councils, of which the West-Central Texas of Governments is a member representing the interests of Abilene and its 19 surrounding counties, the 2000 population of the study area is approximately 325,000 over a geographic expanse of 17,807 square miles. The unemployment ranges from 3.6% to 5% in the total area the lower number representative of Abilene. In the Abilene metropolitan area, there are approximately 3,558 business establishments, employing almost 50,000 people. The leading employment sectors are healthcare and social services, retail trade, manufacturing and construction services. Telecommunications Infrastructure: A Major Component to Economic Development and Smart Cities Just as access to major transportation hubs, seaports, train stations and international airports have been crucial to businesses in the past, access to robust communications systems is emerging as one of the go or no go decision factors when businesses decide to locate in a particular area. Many cities have recognized the need for a robust telecommunications infrastructure to revitalize their communities and attract new businesses to their area buildings. In New York City, the Brooklyn Polytechnic University and the State of New York invested $500 million in a 16-acre urban research and office park. They are receiving telecommunications support from Verizon and Teleport (now AT&T Local Services) and hope to create 14,500 jobs and retain an existing 500+ jobs. The Securities Industry Automation Corporation, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have all moved some of their operations in or near the research park. Similar initiatives in New England have also focused on strengthening infrastructure to stimulate economic development. TeleCom City was developed by the cities of Everett, Malden and Medford in Massachusetts, just north of Boston. They have redeveloped over 200 acres of former industrial property and secured fiber links to Boston. Fannie Mae estimates that TeleCom City will generate an additional 525 housing units and the City estimates 7,500 new jobs. In October of 2000, the EPA named TeleCom City as a National Brownfields Showcase Community. Amesbury, Lowell and Newburyport, in the Merrimack Valley located in northeastern Massachusetts have also developed a cyber district. A component of their program is to obtain rental - 2 -

4 reductions from building landlords in exchange for the city to install fiber optic connections in the buildings. In Texas, through the support of the City of Austin, the University of Texas and community at large, Technology Incubator (ATI) was launched in ATI was designed initially as an experiment to attract technology based enterprises and business to further the City s economic development and has now flourished to through the development of a special targeted services package which includes strategic advice, access to financing, marketing & PR support, benefits program, mentoring, and turn-key infrastructure. ATI has helped to further grow and develop almost 100 companies and create nearly 2,000 jobs in Austin. Even though the nature and scope of such initiatives vary, local governments and development agencies throughout the United States are investing time and resources to strengthen the public utility infrastructure to enhance economic development. Telecommunications Needs for Businesses: A Generic Perspective Telecommunications services are essential to any business organization from basic phone services to complex wide area networking solutions. Many high tech firms will only locate offices in areas in which there are advanced telecommunications solutions available. Voice services have always been the fundamental and basic method of business communications, but as we have seen in the last 10 years, an emergence of alternative methods of communications namely , have become an integral part to every day business. As businesses move some of their key communications, advertising and sales initiatives to the internet, a strong, bandwidth intensive telecommunications infrastructure will be needed to support it. Basic business telecommunications service needs are normally readily available from the incumbent local exchange provider, but the presence of additional niche players and competitors only enhances the offerings for businesses by way of price, technologies and features. Multiple telecommunications service providers allow companies to tailor their telecommunications solutions to their needs at competitive prices ultimately enhancing their operational efficiencies. The success of the City of Abilene in attracting technology business to the metropolitan area is dependent on whether the existing telecommunications infrastructure and service providers can support and provision services through efficient and expeditious processes. Other basic telecommunications services needs are as follows: Enhanced voice services Interconnection of office/corporate locations (for data) Internet Access Remote access to data networks - 3 -

5 Support for mission critical applications on their information technology platforms Scalability of all telecommunications services and solutions Increased efficiencies Controlled costs More advanced telecommunications needs, usually required by high tech companies and large enterprises that would be crucial for a metropolitan area to have: Integrated voice, video and data solutions Very high speed internet access Robust bandwidth connections. IP service/transit access Basic Components to Telecommunications Infrastructure The adequacy and strength of a telecommunications network lies in its ability to support services and applications that the market and consumers demand. Historically, telecommunications infrastructure was optimized for voice communication, since voice services were the predominant services on the network. Since the explosion in the growth of data traffic, telecommunications carriers have made upgrades to their existing infrastructure or built overlay data network to deliver new services. In our assessment of Abilene s telecommunications infrastructure, emphasis was given to the availability and accessibility of the following categories of telecommunication services that businesses will demand once they situate in Abilene and the surrounding counties: Voice Services Cellular/Mobile Broadband Access o DSL o Cable o Satellite/Wireless High Speed Data Fiber Backbone Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Abilene and Taylor County Voice Services Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC) is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in Abilene. South and west of Abilene, Taylor County Telephone Cooperative is the ILEC. Valor Telecom also provides ILEC services in western Taylor County. As SBC is the incumbent in Abilene, it has the most robust portfolio of voice services (the only one providing Centrex and Intelligent Network Services), but there are other voice providers in Abilene, namely NTS, Ionex Telecom and Nii Communcations who provide basic voice services and some of the enhanced voice services. The presence of - 4 -

6 more than two local phone service providers is indicative of a somewhat competitive marketplace and offers diversity of choice to consumers. Voice Services Available In Abilene Proper: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Enhanced Voice Services (audio conferencing, fax services, PBX systems, Centrex, Calling Card Services) Intelligent Network Services (800 services, 900 services, voice virtual private networks, universal access numbers/single number services.) Voice Services Available in Taylor County (outside of Abilene): Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Taylor Telephone Cooperative, which provides service south of Abilene, provides basic phone service and value added voice features such as Caller ID. They installed a fiber optic ring in 1994 and are members of the statewide fiber network, Texas Lone Star Network. Valor Telecom, providing services in Taylor County, west of Abilene, is a new ILEC which developed from GTE/Verizon s sell off of rural telecom properties and exchanges. According to Valor, they provide Centrex services and data services such as T1s and frame relay and other advanced voice services such as account card calling, but it is most likely limited to larger Valor communities. Cellular Service The primary wireless service operators in the Abilene metro area are Cingular, Nextel, Cellular One, Sprint and T-Mobil. The presence of five major wireless providers indicates a healthy amount of competition and choice in the area; however actual service levels and quality may differ due to coverage in the area. An independent mobile operator, Texas Cellular, a subsidiary of Taylor Telephone Cooperative, operates in the area, providing service in areas in which the nationwide carriers do not or provide substandard service. Not all of the nationwide carriers provide service ubiquitously throughout Taylor County, but Cingular would be the leader in terms of coverage of the nationwide providers, followed by T-Mobil. Both T-Mobil and Cingular are GSM providers, the others using other technologies such as PCS, CDMA and TDMA offering a choice for wireless frequency technologies. Below is a map from the FCC detailing the presence of cellular towers in Abilene and Taylor County. The stars denote the presence of a tower

7 Broadband Infrastructure and Services Broadband access can be achieved via cable modem access, wireless and DSL services. Abilene has all three types of services available to businesses (Wireless broadband, DSL and cable modem access are generally a small and medium business solution.). Since some of the technology based businesses that could initially be attracted to Abilene (e.g. creative agencies, publishing, advertising, internet businesses) may not be large enough to need T1 lines for internet access, accessibility to broadband internet access is critical. This scenario is in line with current trends that point to telecommunications carriers aggressively marketing broadband access services (e.g. DSL) to small and medium businesses with flexible packaging and pricing alternatives. Cable modem access is available from the local cable services provider, Cox. Cox provides high-speed internet access only in Abilene proper. It is important to note that usually cable modem service is available where cable plant (fiber/coaxial cable) is laid and many business or retail districts do not have cable plant passing their premises. Cox also has special business high-speed internet access offerings

8 SBC is the ILEC, which owns and operates the DSL copper loop infrastructure in Abilene and provides DSL services in Abilene proper. DSL services are delivered via the twisted copper wire pair coming from a local central office (CO) to the customer premise. The abundance of copper wire and phone connections would indicate that DSL availability is high. Unfortunately, that is not always the case as DSL services are very distance and infrastructure condition sensitive--- if a customer premise is over 18,000 feet from the CO, DSL is not available and most providers do not like to supply the service if the premise is over 15,000 feet from the CO. If the copper plant is older or has bridge taps (cross-connecting with another loop pair) and or load coils (used to boost signal on longer loops) DSL services are also difficult, if not impossible to provide. DSL services are also provided by Camalott Communications, but more interesting is their wireless broadband service offering for areas in which their DSL offering does not reach. It is more expensive than traditional broadband for installation ($ ), but monthly costs are comparable. Camalott provides ISDL, SDSL and ISDN in the Abilene area. Ionex Telecom, NTS and Nii Communications, CLECs in Abilene, also provide DSL services to their customers. Broadband Access Services Available in Abilene: DSL different types available: ADSL Asymmetrical DSL, downstream speeds from 256Kbps to 1.5Mbps and downstream 128Kbps. Speeds depend on distance from CO and loop quality. SDSL Symmetrical DSL, down and upstream the same rate, 384Kbps to 1.5 Mbps depending on loop quality. IDSL ISDN DSL, speeds up to only 144Kbps, but has larger service availability due to lower loop length restrictions. Cable (Downstream speeds up to 1.5Mbps and upstream 128Kbps) Wireless Broadband providing DSL type high speed access services The presence of multiple types of broadband access in Abilene proper indicates a healthy and competitive market for broadband services. Broadband services are not as readily available in the areas outside of Abilene in Taylor County. Taylor Telephone Cooperative provides DSL services in six exchanges and plans to have all exchanges DSL ready by the end of Lawn, Tuscola and Buffalo Gap are communities in which Taylor launched their DSL services. Valor Telecom, providing local voice services to some parts of Taylor County, does not offer DSL in Texas

9 High Speed Data Services Businesses, especially enterprises, require high-speed data solutions to interconnect office sites, connect intranets/extranets, connect to the internet, access mainframe applications and access other server-based applications. High speed data is also used to access data centers for data storage back-up. In Abilene, multiple providers provide data services that can be used for some of the basic business applications mentioned above. AT&T, SBC, Cox Business Communications and NTS provide various data services in Abilene. High Speed Data Offerings in Abilene: Leased/Private Lines Frame Relay ATM Internet Access/IP transport Virtual Private Networks The presence of multiple carriers gives businesses flexibility in their data networks due to the presence of competition. Fiber Backbone In addition to the adequate availability of retail telecommunications services and access to such services, the Abilene area is also in close proximity to major regional and national fiber network backbones. The evolving needs of businesses in Abilene require robust bandwidth to facilitate most, if not all, telecommunications services. Fiber backbone proximity to businesses in Abilene can reduce costs, especially for high-speed data access. Because of Abilene s location in the heart of Texas and being just west of the South s telecom hub, Dallas, many fiber networks pass though and or connect in Abilene. Abilene is generally the hub for all high-speed communications in the study area, with Brownwood and Sweetwater also being point of presence along a major fiber backbone. SBC, being the incumbent local carrier in the Abilene metro, has various amounts of fiber through and around the city. SBC can provide connections to enterprises and other carriers at speeds ranging from DS-3 to OC-12. In addition to SBC s fiber connectivity, NTS has fiber has four fiber routes leaving Abilene: one east to Ft. Worth, one west to Midland, where it branches again, heading north to Lubbock, as well as continuing west to El Paso, one north to Wichita Falls, and one south to Brownwood and on west to San Angelo and east to the I-35 corridor

10 AT&T has constructed a robust OC-48 SONET backbone through Texas and Abilene including some points of presence in counties surrounding Abilene (Brownwood in Brown County and Sweetwater in Nolan County.) AT&T s SONET Network in Texas: The Texas Lone Star Network also has a fiber point of presence in Abilene. It was developed though a joint venture of 38 independent telephone companies including Cap Rock, Santa Rosa and Comanche County, Taylor Telephone Cooperative ILECs in the Abilene and surrounding counties study area, and provides transport services to enterprises and other carriers

11 Texas Lone Star Network (backbone speeds up to OC-48) Cox Communications, the cable TV service provider in Abilene, has also launched its own fiber based nationwide network focusing in 20 key metros, including Abilene, Texas. Cox High Speed Internet Backbone: Fiber backbone in the Abilene area is also a very important component to the development and growth of broadband in neighboring counties. Delivering Internet

12 traffic to the rest of the world or a phenomenon also known as middle-mile access has been one of the major inhibitors to broadband access in rural areas outside of Abilene and Brownwood in the study area. High-speed connections are needed to handle the broadband internet load, but rural areas do not have interconnection points or large fiber based points of presence to backhaul the ever increasing internet traffic and connect users to the world. The usual solution for an ISP/DSL provider serving areas outside of Abilene and Brownwood is to lease a high-speed connection to the nearest large town. However, this is very expensive with all the local traffic aggregated on one connection, each user is limited in the bandwidth available it is shared with all local, online internet users. For most of the study area, Abilene is the nearest POP, although some communities mentioned San Angelo, Lubbock, and Wichita Falls as fiber points of presence for internet backhaul. Abilene and Taylor County Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Availability Multiple Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available Yes quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Available/Limited Yes Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Available No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited Yes Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Available Yes

13 Brownwood and Brown County Telephone Service Verizon is the ILEC in Brownwood. Valor also provides services in Brown County, specifically May, and its surrounding area. Valor Telecom was established in the late 1990s through the purchase of rural GTE exchanges in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Voice Services Available In Brownwood and Brown County: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Cellular Service Both Cellular One and Mid-Texas Cellular provide mobile services in Brown County. Mid-Texas cellular is a regional mobile provider and Cellular One is a nationwide provider. In some instances, due to its local/regional focus, Mid-Texas Cellular may have better service reception in areas. The map below depicts the cellular towers with stars. Broadband Infrastructure and Services DSL is not currently available in Brownwood or in Brown County, but Verizon is working on providing DSL services soon. Some anxious to get high speed internet are

14 using satellite internet service. Brownwood TV/Cable, the cable provider in the area, tried to launch cable modem high speed internet access, but there was not enough interest in the service (priced along industry benchmarks at $50/month) to make it a viable offering. High Speed Data Services: T1 services are available within Brownwood through Verizon, supplying the basic connectivity service to Texas State Teacher s College. Brownwood was recently awarded a TIF grant and connected the local library, city hall, and the local shopping mall. All of the Brownwood schools also have T1 service for internet access. AT&T, through their SONET backbone through Brownwood, has located an ATM/Frame Relay point of presence. High Speed Data Offerings in Brownwood: Leased/Private Lines Frame Relay ATM Fiber Backbone Verizon has some fiber throughout Brownwood and Brown County to deliver voice services and provide T1 services when requested. AT&T is reported to be planning to construct and fiber connection between Abilene and Brownwood even though it does not provide voice services in Brown County. NTS, a CLEC in Abilene also has a fiber route leading from Abilene, connecting through Brownwood and traversing west onto San Angelo and east on the I-35 highway corridor. Brownwood and Brown County Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Non-existent No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Non-existent No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited Yes Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Available Yes

15 Coleman and Comanche Counties Telephone Service In Coleman County, Verizon and Coleman County Telephone Cooperative provide basic telephone services, Verizon being the provider in Coleman and Coleman County Telephone providing services to the rest and most of Coleman County. In Comanche County, Verizon and Comanche County Telephone Company provide voice services, with Verizon providing services in Comanche. Voice Services Available In Coleman and Comanche Counties Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) The Coleman County Telephone Cooperative and the Comanche Telephone Cooperative serve the rural areas of those counties. Cellular Service Cingular and T-Mobil, two nationwide GSM providers provide mobile services in Coleman and Comanche counties. Mid-Texas Cellular (part owned by Comanche Telephone Company and Coleman Telephone Coop) provides services in Coleman County, Comanche County, Brown County and Runnels County, providing service to the communities along Highway 67 from Stephenville to Ballinger, TX. The map below depicts the placement of cellular towers in the counties with stars

16 Broadband Infrastructure and Services As in most rural areas, DSL and other types of broadband service availability is limited. Coleman County telephone does not provide DSL due to the high cost of deployment, but is however, interested in wireless spectrum for broadband. Comanche County Telephone Coop provides DSL in portions of all eight exchanges, available to approximately 60% of phone lines. It is also interested in looking into a wireless broadband initiative for hard to reach customers. Cox Cable, the cable services provider in the two counties, does not provide cable modem access for high speed internet. Cox recently upgraded their cable plant for better video services but may not find it economically feasible or profitable to provide broadband internet services. Verizon, as in all rural areas in which it services, is working towards providing DSL. High-Speed Data Connectivity The voice providers in the study area can provide T1 services, but some businesses are switching from T1 to wireless broadband (Wi-Fi, also known as b.) Coleman County recently received a TIF grant to provide high-speed communications to their schools, health centers, and hospitals. High Speed Data Offerings in Coleman and Comanche Counties: Leased/Private Lines Fiber Backbone There are no high-speed backbones which have a point of presence in Comanche or Coleman County, although Comanche Telephone Company is a part owner of the Texas Lone Star Network. Coleman and Comanche Counties Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Non-existent No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited No Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Non-existent No

17 Sweetwater (including Mitchell, Nolan and Runnels Counties) Telephone Service SBC (Southwestern Bell Corporation) is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in Sweetwater, also providing service to other towns in Nolan County and Mitchell County, however with customer satisfaction and fault resolution indicators being very low. In a neighboring Howard County, SBC is being overbuilt due to customer dissatisfaction. Wes-Tex Telephone Cooperative, Inc. of Stanton, Texas, provides local telephone service to the more rural parts of Mitchell County, while the towns are served by SBC. Wes-Tex has 3,400 telephone customers, and provides cellular, long distance, and Internet services to Mitchell County. As mentioned above, Wes-Tex recently overbuilt SBC in Big Spring and Stanton (west of Big Spring) in Wes-Tex is in the process of putting in fiber on routes that pass as many schools in their serving areas as possible. Alenco is a small, 22 year old company with 10 Central Offices. Alenco serves Maryneal in Nolan County and has recently laid fiber and replaced old switches, both of which will improve and modernize available services. Taylor Telephone Internet offers telephone service in Runnels County, Internet service, and cellular service via Texas Cellular, their cellular subsidiary. Valor Telecom provides service in Mitchell and Nolan Counties while Verizon provides services in some towns in Runnels County. Voice Services Available in Sweetwater (including Mitchell, Nolan and Runnels counties) Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Cellular Service Cellular One and Texas Cellular have retail offices in Sweetwater and provide mobile services in the area. Texas Cellular and Nextel also provide mobile services in Sweetwater. In Runnels County, Mid-Texas Cellular provides service. The map on the next page denotes the presence of cellular towers in the counties with a star

18 Broadband Infrastructure and Services DSL and broadband availability is also limited to certain areas and service providers. Wes-Tex is developing cable modem and DSL services, but has not launched services yet. Taylor Telephone Coop does provide DSL service in other areas it serves, but not currently in this study area but have reported that they want to have DSL available in all exchanges by the end of the year. Alenco and Valor Telecom do not provide DSL services and SBC is also limited in DSL availability in the study area and do not even provide the service in the largest town, Sweetwater. Cox Cable, the cable service provider in Sweetwater and surrounding area recently upgraded their plant to digital, but there are no plans for high speed cable modems. Sweetwater Computer provides broadband services to businesses by using T1(s) leased from SBC to carry the Internet traffic back to Abilene and then to the rest of the world. Sweetwater Computer s service costs $80/month for a 256K Internet connection, but is available to only to businesses, but there are no high-speed options for residences in Sweetwater. In some areas there are wireless high-speed Internet providers and Taylor Electric Cooperative offers broadband services via satellite. High Speed Data Services T1s are available from the local telephone companies. AT&T, through their SONET backbone through Sweetwater, has located an ATM/Frame Relay point of presence. High Speed Data Offerings in Sweetwater and Study Area: Leased/Private Lines Frame Relay ATM

19 Fiber Backbone Sweetwater is a point of presence for AT&T s OC-48 SONET route from Abilene. Sweetwater (including Mitchell, Nolan and Runnels counties) Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Non-existent No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited Yes Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Available No

20 Snyder (Fisher, Kent, Scurry and Stonewall Counties) Telephone Service SBC is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in Snyder and Scurry and Fisher Counties, but with reported maintenance and technical/customer support problems. Twice in the past, a backhoe on I-20 (30 miles away) cut off telephone service to Snyder, leaving many with out phone service due to SBC s slow response. In parts of Fisher County, Alenco Communications provides services, specifically in Sylvester and McCaulley. Cap Rock Telephone Cooperative has provided local phone service in Kent County for over 50 years, digitalizing their plant over 20 years ago. Valor Telecom provides local service in Stonewall County. Voice Services Available In Snyder and Study Area: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Cellular Service Sprint and Cellular One provide wireless services in the study area, but it is reported that there is a 30-minute cellular blackout area north of Snyder on the highway to Lubbock due to Snyder s almost equidistant location between Abilene and Lubbock. Cap Rock Cellular provides service in Kent County. The map below denotes the presence of cell towers with a star

21 Broadband Infrastructure and Services SBC s DSL is only available to businesses and it is very expensive. The community of Snyder funded a portion of the DSL equipment to spur SBC to provide service in that area. Snyder has some wireless (Wi-Fi, also called b) Internet available and the local ISPs use two T1s to backhaul to Abilene. Cap Rock can provide DSL services to over 75% of its access lines and has wired the local schools and libraries. In the seven school districts is serves, Cap Rock also provides video services. Cox Communications, the local cable TV provider does not provide high speed access services to date, but recently updated their plant a potential step towards providing high-speed cable modem services High-Speed Data Connectivity Local service providers provide T1 services to schools, municipal buildings and businesses in the area. High Speed Data Offerings in Snyder and Study Area: Leased/Private Lines Fiber Backbone There are no major fiber backbone points of presence in the study area

22 Snyder (Fisher, Kent, Scurry and Stonewall counties) Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Non-existent No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited No Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Non-existent No

23 Haskell, Knox, and Jones Counties Telephone Service SBC is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) serving Stamford, the largest town in the three-county area. SBC also provides service in Anson and Hamlin. Valor is the ILEC serving Munday, Hamlin, and Haskell and offers Expanded Local service for $7/mo to businesses (plus the approximately $25 monthly charge) or $3.50 to residences (plus the approximately $20 monthly charge.) Hawley has local telephone service from Taylor Telephone Cooperative. The Santa Rosa Telephone Cooperative, which operates in counties north of the study area are overbuilding Valor first in Rochester, then in Rule, and have plans to overbuild Haskell eventually. Voice Services Available In Haskell and Study Area: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Cellular Service Cingular and Cellular One are the only wireless providers in the tri-county area. There are county-line problems, potentially due to the three counties being parts of three different local access transport areas (LATAs), and the LATA boundaries approximately correspond to some of the county lines. This can cause issues in the billing of services for local and local toll areas. (LATA boundaries are the demarcations for long distance calling areas.) The map below denotes the presence of cell towers in the counties with a star

24 Broadband Infrastructure and Services All the communities that Valor serves in this study area do not have DSL service available. Hawley, which is served by Taylor Telephone, does have DSL. SBC is still working towards providing DSL services in rural areas, but with the termination of Project Pronto (its serving-area-wide broadband initiative), building has slowed down significantly. The areas in which Santa Rosa is overbuilding will have DSL services. There is also a company offering Wi-Fi service in Haskell for $50/mo. Wi-Fi is also available in Hamlin and Munday with a connection via NTS to Valor in Wichita Falls. The cable provider does not provide high speed internet services. High-Speed Data Connectivity As in other rural areas, high-speed Internet connectivity is lacking at a reasonable price. The local phone companies provide T1 service, but it is very expensive in rural areas. High Speed Data Offerings in Haskell and Study Area: Leased/Private Lines The study area has some broadband initiatives: Stamford has broadband capabilities from Abilene including the use of distance learning. Haskell has a TIF grant for Haskell city offices, county offices, and schools to provide high-speed wireless Internet services (Wi-Fi, also called b). The City has placed an antenna on the courthouse and will potentially be offering a public wireless service. The required up-front equipment cost is a hurdle even though they have a dedicated T1 to Abilene. An ISP uses some of the capacity, but more will be needed. Haskell has an interactive distance learning laboratory though an agreement with Midwestern University in Wichita Falls. Fiber Backbone There are many fiber routes passing by the study area s towns, but access to it is limited. For internet backhaul purposes, there is a connection to Abilene but the communities would be better served by a POP on the fiber that already runs by. A fiber ring is in place from Abilene to Albany (Shackelford County), Stamford, Hamlin, and back to Albany

25 Haskell, Knox, and Jones Counties Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Non-existent No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited No Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Available Yes

26 Breckenridge (Shackelford, Stephens and Throckmorton Counties) Telephone Service SBC is the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) in Breckenridge. They have recently upgraded their switch there and it was reported that Breckenridge just got touchtone dial services. In Throckmorton County, Valor and Brazos Telephone Cooperative provide services. Brazos has recently upgraded their switches to digital and installed a fiber optic toll network. Both Brazos and Valor are operating on old GTE plant, Brazos taking over in the mid-1990s and Valor in the late 1990s. Voice Services Available In Breckenridge and Study Area: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) According to those interviewed, the 911 service is not well coordinated due to the communities location and the local telephone service area designations of LATAs. Stephens County (Breckenridge s county) is mostly in the Dallas Local Access Transport Area (LATA). The northern edge of Stephens County and the counties north are in the Wichita Falls LATA and the counties west of Stephens County are in the Abilene LATA. As elaborated on in the summary section, LATA boundaries cause several problems, potentially emergency 911 services, and Stephens County has a triple point, where three LATAs meet. Cellular Service T-Mobil provides mobile service in Breckenridge and Cellular One and Brazos Cellular also provide service in the study area. It was reported that there were holes in Brazos wireless coverage. The map on the next page denotes the presence of cell towers in the counties with a star

27 Broadband Infrastructure and Services At this time Valor Telecom does not provide DSL services in the study area, however Brazos Telephone Coop does in all of its five exchanges, unfortunately with not many subscribers. DSL is available in Breckenridge through SBC, depending on local loop length. In Breckenridge, Classic Cable provides cable modem service for $49/mo. In addition, there are several wireless Internet providers in the area, including West Texas Connect. Brazos Wireless ( offers wireless Internet service not associated with their Brazos Telephone s cellular services. The least expensive Brazos wireless offering, for a 24-month contract, is $99 up front plus $59/month for up to three computers connected at 128Kbps. High-Speed Data Connectivity T1 service is available in the more populous areas of the study area through the local telephone providers. Frame relay and other data connectivity services such as ATM are not available. High Speed Data Offerings Breckenridge and Study Area: Leased/Private Lines Schools in Breckenridge are on the Sweetwater server network. Breckenridge has a distance-learning laboratory, and are using TIF funds to acquire hardware and train people for a PC laboratory

28 Texas State Teacher s College (TSTC) has a campus in Breckenridge with three T1 lines, four distance-learning classrooms, 23 locations for access, and Poly Communications, with a four location video conferencing set-up. Fiber Backbone As in other study areas and rural communities, Breckenridge has fiber on the edge of town, but there exists difficulties in accessibility. There are no major fiber backbone points of presence in the study area which makes backhaul a problem (the delivery and receipt of local high-speed Internet traffic with the rest of the world.) Breckenridge (Shackelford, Stephens and Throckmorton counties) Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Limited No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited No Are fiber backbone nodes Fiber Backbone nearby to support data services? Non-existent No

29 Eastland and Cisco (Callahan and Eastland Counties) Telephone Service SBC is the incumbent local exchange carrier in Eastland and Cisco. In the rural areas outside of Eastland and Cisco, Valor and Comanche Telephone Company provide voice services. Valor Telecom primarily serves Callahan County. Voice Services Available In Callahan and Eastland Counties: Basic Voice Services (local, national and international calling) Value Added Voice Services (call management services, voic ) Cellular Service Multiple wireless providers, including Cingular, Nextel, Sprint, Cellular One and T- Mobil, serve the study area. These providers have coverage in Eastland and Cisco, but coverage in the rural areas may be inconsistent and spotty. The map below denotes the presence of cellular towers with a star. Broadband Infrastructure and Services SBC is providing DSL access in Gorman, but it is not available in Eastland or Cisco. ISPs are offering some high-speed connectivity and some (limited) wireless Internet is also available. Valor Telecom is not providing DSL service in Texas as of but may if demand warrants and pays for it. Comanche Telephone Company is providing DSL in all exchanges and approximately 60% of lines are DSL capable, so some communities in Eastland County have DSL access. The primary cable service operator, Classic Cable does provide high speed internet access at $50/month. (Perhaps this is why SBC has been slow to launch DSL service in those towns.)

30 High Speed Data Connectivity Local telephone companies provide T1 connections, but speeds higher are most likely not available. In Cisco the schools and the hospital have a T1 connection and are connected to regional network with Abilene. Five towns in Eastland County applied for and were awarded TIF grants to make a county network to help with broadband and internet backhaul. The network will be developed with OC-3 speeds and available to ISPs for lease. High Speed Data Offerings in Callahan and Eastland Counties: Leased/Private Lines Fiber Backbone There are no major fiber backbones with points of presence in the study area. The Eastland County network mentioned above will complement Eastland s broadband initiatives with a high speed connection to a major tier one provider. Eastland and Cisco (Callahan and Eastland counties) Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment: Service Criteria Multiple Availability Providers? Voice Services Is telephone service readily available in sufficient Available No quantities? Cellular/Mobile Is cellular capacity sufficient to meet business needs? Available Yes DSL Is DSL service readily available? Limited No Cable Is cable modem service readily available? Limited No Are high-speed (at least High-Speed Mbps) data services Data readily available? Limited No Fiber Backbone Are fiber backbone nodes nearby to support data services? Limited/Under Development No

31 Conclusions and Recommendations In Abilene, the telecommunications infrastructure is in place, however maybe not as ubiquitously throughout the city as needed. There are still some limitations on where broadband services are available and wireless coverage is reported to be spotty in some areas. The fiber backbone infrastructure is quite robust and offers the capacity needed for advanced data and broadband services. Competition is present in Abilene in all basic areas of telecommunications infrastructure, affording choices for the end users and competitive pricing and packaging. As expected, in the rural areas outside of Abilene, specifically the study areas analyzed earlier in the report, the telecommunications infrastructure is not nearly as robust. There is very limited, if no competition in all areas of telecommunications infrastructure and often the actual infrastructure is not advanced enough or in place to support some emerging basic components of telecom infrastructure, namely broadband access, high speed data services and fiber backbone access. Telephone Service All of the study areas have basic voice services available to them, including local, national and international voice services and value added voice services such as Caller ID, Call Waiting and Voic . However, Abilene is the only study area that has advanced calling features such as voice VPN, Centrex and 800 services. Competition in fixed voice only occurs in the City of Abilene as well, with the CLEC in most cases interconnecting and reselling SBC lines. The demand for advanced voice services is very limited or non-existent in rural areas, which is the primary reason why rural ILECs do not provide those services. Competition is also rare in rural areas due to the cost of providing service in such geographically expansive areas. However, in some rural markets, we are witnessing a new trend - overbuilding which could stimulate competition for telecommunication services. Overbuilding occurs when a second telephone company (other than the incumbent) builds a second telephone network by deploying a second set of phone lines ( over the existing lines). Typically the new lines are fed via optical fiber and are capable of providing more robust services, including video/cable and Internet access, than the existing carrier can with their older plant. In many rural areas, there are basic problems with voice telecommunications these include poor service quality, poor problem resolution and unavailability of enhanced calling features and services. The distances between towns also cause problems, decreasing the size of the local calling area and increasing the proportion of long distance calls charges assessed. The use of LATA divisions in the study areas is also causing some issues with cost of calls made. The concept of LATAs (Local Access Transport Area) was introduced in the 1984 AT&T Divesture agreement. In that agreement, telephone calls within a LATA were to be

32 handled by local exchange carriers (LECs, e.g. SBC and Verizon) and calls between LATAs were to be handled by Interexchange Carriers (IXCs long distance carriers such as AT&T, MCI, and Sprint at the time). Since that time, cellular carriers and others have blurred the distinction by providing such features as free long distance, and some LECs are now allowed to offer long distance services. However, the LATA concept still underlies much of the local telephone system and its rate structure and impacts some of the study areas as some counties are a part of two and in some cases three LATAs. The study area includes all of the Abilene LATA and parts of 5 other LATAs (Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Dallas, San Angelo, and Midland). Unfortunately, LATA boundaries cause problems, sometimes requiring that calls to even nearby towns be routed through a long distance carrier and therefore more expensive. It was also reported that in some areas 911 service is not well coordinated. We hypothesize that this is due to LATA boundary issues. The larger providers (SBC, Verizon, and Valor) seem to have most of the service problems, primarily due to their older, less modern and often neglected plant. The smaller, rural telephone companies (Alenco Communications, Brazos Telephone Cooperative, Cap Rock Telephone Cooperative, Coleman County Telephone Cooperative, Comanche County Telephone Company, Santa Rosa Telephone Coop, Taylor Telephone Coop, and Wes-Tex Telephone Cooperative) enjoy a better reputation for service and often have instituted better upgrades and maintenance to their outside plant and network than the larger carriers. This analysis also found that, throughout the study area, prices are generally higher than urban, big-city prices for basic phone service, even with the Universal Service Fund subsidy, which often dramatically decreases the operating costs of rural phone companies. The local calling areas are often not proportionate to the actual county or community area which increases the cost of the call due to the need to use and Interexchange Carrier for long distance calling to neighboring towns. Cellular Service There are many local/regional and national cellular carriers in Abilene and the surrounding study area. The number of carriers in Abilene is highest (6) and most study areas have two, if not more, wireless carriers in the area. As in most areas across the United States, the perception of wireless service is mixed-- as it is in Abilene and the rest of the study areas. Most wireless companies have holes or brown spots in their coverage unfortunately mostly in rural areas, again to the geographic expanse and low density ratios of those areas. For rural mobile phone service, regional or local services may provide better service coverage than nationwide carriers who are focused on a much larger serving area and metro areas. The study area has three regional mobile players, the largest being Texas Cellular and Mid-Texas Cellular ventures of some of the local rural ILECs in the area