POLITICS

Not quite enough...

POLITICS Greg Starks

According to a press release that can be found on the city’s Web site at http://www.cityoflansingmi.com/1mayor092601.html,
Lansing’s Economic Development Task Force, a group representative of major local interests, recently completed a Digital Readiness Assessment, a vision statement, and developed an "Economic Development Plan." Seven goals outlined in the release are:
Integrating an ‘e-approach’ to make the Lansing a leader in ‘e-government initiatives’. This is slightly ironic as neither the Assessment results, vision statement or plan are available at the City’s website, http://www.cityoflansingmi.com.

• Create an ‘educational’ plan about IT to present to different groups.
  
  
• Facilitate affordable high-speed Internet access for all residents and workers.
  
  
• Development of a five-year strategic plan to lead to phased improvement citywide.
  
  
• Create incentives for current and prospective businesses to use IT.
  
  
• Establish an IT Implementation Team to oversee and promote economic development programs.
  
  
• Develop a K-12 curriculum to teach "new economy" skills.

These goals represent a fair first step, but will not of their own make Lansing a leader in 21st century municipal economic development. Unless we take a significant controlling interest in developing our own infrastructure, we will be unable to meet many of these goals anytime soon. During the next five years the die will be cast among communities who will be winners in the digital economy, and those who will be spectators.

Today, high speed uploads and downloads can be made onto and from the Internet today by using either coaxial cable or telephone lines. Virtually every residence in the Greater Lansing area has each. Only cable could be subject to local control, as we have no ability to control local phone lines. To our great fortunes, several local communities will soon have the chance to take control of its cable infrastructure in the near future. This choice will, for the most part, determine whether the Lansing region will be on the field or in the bleachers for the next generation.

In early September, AT&T submitted a request to the City of Lansing that we enter negotiations with them to renew the franchise agreement reached with Continental Cablevision 20 years ago. This agreement is set to expire in 2004. Other area communities have their franchises expiring sooner – East Lansing in 2001 and Meridian Township in 2002, for instance. If these communities renewed their franchises to coincide with expiration of Lansing’s, we could collectively plan and negotiate a mutually profitable future.

Unfortunately, taking control of a cable franchise is something of an all-or-nothing proposition. Under federal law, municipalities can exert minimal control over those who receive a cable franchise, in our case ATT. On the other hand, there is nothing to prevent a city or region from assuming control of their own franchises. In fact, a growing number of communities of all sizes have seen fit in the last decade to do so. Clearly, we should fully investigate following suit.

Even if we mutually negotiate a new franchise, the only way for us to assure affordable high-speed Internet access to all businesses and homes is by the establishment of a regional cable franchising authority, perhaps the Board of Water and Light or an associated entity. Economies of scale will reduce costs. The existence of local public utilities means that we have billing and customer service infrastructures. The existing employee bases at AT&T and the vast resources of MSU, LCC, local school districts and the cable plant itself all make a case for a local authority to be established.

Lost local control, massive industry consolidation and complete uncertainty as to who will be our eventual providers auger against maintaining the current system. Let’s face it, none of our last four providers have had the interests of Lansing residents at heart. US West, Media One, TCI and now ATT have each looked at us as little more than a marketplace, as subscription-per-drop ratios, as prospective revenue streams. ATT, it turns out, is looking to the Baby Bells to purchase it. Who’s on first? Doesn’t matter. The one thing that is beyond dispute is that prices for basic cable service have nearly doubled in the past five years.

A locally controlled franchisee could also establish a number of satellite facilities to address different elements of the challenges that face us. If we make the bold decision to take back our cable system, we should also establish a community media center along the lines of that in Grand Rapids, and a computer recycling center, where people can drop off their old computers to be refurbished and redistributed to others as need be. Widely different programming and price schedules could also be feasible. We could triple the number of labs in the community to provide access and training to all levels of users from the area.

Come on people, let’s get together and do ourselves a favor. We have the infrastructure in place, all we need do is muster the will to make Lansing’s telecommunications and technology programs the envy of the Midwest.