Relating Information Technology to those who aren’t savvy is a difficult task. Over four years working in an IT role has taught me that. It takes years of training and experience for IT professionals to get where they are today. Unfortunately, Information Technology is one of the most distrusted professions out there. If a medical professional tells you one of your kidneys has failed and you need a new one, you wouldn’t hesitate to agree. If a IT professional tells you your hard drive has crashed and unless you’re willing to send it to a recovery lab all your data is gone, questions are asked and there’s always always a second, third or even fourth opinion involved.
Naturally, Senators had questions regarding the need to authorize the issuance of up to $42 million in gross receipts tax bonds to help finance the broadband project. Unfortunately those questions were focused more on VINGN President Julito Francis’ salary than how VINGN will benefit the Virgin Islands. Fortunately, there is a chance to save this badly needed initiative at a bumped up hearing date on Tuesday, April 5, 2011.
We have been afforded an amazing opportunity in being able to secure all 4 Broadband grants. We’re the only ones in the the entire United States of America that has been able to do so. I think part of the reason is that in terms of technology and telecommunications we’re well behind most of the country and especially in the Caribbean. Did you know that Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago all surpass the US Virgin Islands in percent of Internet penetration?
Dr. Peter Schultz, in a recent Op-Ed, succinctly states the purpose of these four broadband grants:
What are we going to build? First, we are building what is called an “open access middle mile broadband network.” That is a mouthful. What it means is that we are installing main loops of fiber optic cables on St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island. We are connecting these islands together through undersea fiber optic cable and connecting this network to the rest of the world through several existing long haul undersea fiber optic cables. This network will have extremely high bandwidth (information carrying capacity) and will be capable of serving all of the Territories’ communications needs for many, many years to come. It is also “open access,” which means viNGN is not going into the business of providing services to the end user (you), but rather, we will sell this bandwidth to the service providers who already serve you today, such as Choice, Innovative and Broadband VI who could not afford to build such an expensive network themselves. We are not going into the business of competing with them.
Here’s the concept in a nutshell: For current providers to deliver high speed Internet requires running connections from their source, running fiber to your front door and then installing the equipment that allows you to use it. It’s an expensive proposition and that’s why local ISPs charge so much for this service. The Next Generation Network takes that out of the equation, allowing local ISPs to “piggyback” on it. As a result it costs them less to deliver high speed Internet and the savings should pass on to the consumer. But there’s more:
Our network will also connect all of our schools, the university, libraries, medical facilities, government offices, police, fire, emergency services (such as 911 and disaster communications) and WAPA into this ultra high speed communication network. It will bring our communication system into the 21st century.
And, under these grants, we will receive funding to build and connect to this network 51 public computer centers with a total of 745 computer work stations which are available to the general public to have high speed Internet services that many people cannot afford at home. These will be located in public libraries, community centers, senior citizens centers and the Boys and Girls Clubs and can give our children, senior citizens and all residents direct access to a high speed computer Internet connection free of charge. These grants also provide us with funds to teach our citizens how to use and benefit from these services through a “Sustainable Broadband Adoption Project.”
Yes, you read that right. This will represent a major upgrade to the existing Government Wide Area Network AND will provide access terminals that the public can access FOR FREE.
What does it cost us? And by “us” I mean the taxpayers. Julito Francis addressed that in this article:
Francis said he found concern over the bonding “ironic,” because over the long run, the new government-owned company will generate revenue, and over the short and medium run, will not affect the V.I. budget.
“All of the figures clearly show none of this will affect the general fund, and all of the debt service will be paid for by viNGN,” he said. On top of that, the government will save millions of dollars per year in internet service by owning its own backbone.
“A case in point: The University of the Virgin Islands spends $218,000 per year for microwave broadband between campuses. That goes away.” The government of the Virgin Islands pays three to four million dollars per year for internet access too, and adding the new system to the territory’s infrastructure should create competition and lower the cost, while increasing bandwidth, he said. “We should save up to 80 percent,” Francis said.
But as I stated before, there seems to be a natural distrust of new technology. People fear what they don’t understand. I’ve seen a number of boisterous claims as to why this requires greater scrutiny or should not be done at all. I want to take on some of those claims. And a quick disclaimer, these responses are based on my own observations and experience. I’m not the ultimate authority but I believe I can offer some insight.
Why is the legislature not seeking the advise of technical experts in this area?
Good question. Call your Senators today (well, not today, it’s Sunday…but definitely Monday) and ask them. Expect to hear from your local IT pros (such as yours truly) because from what I’ve seen and heard we all are behind this project.
Why is the President of VINGN being paid nearly double the salary of the Commissioners of Education, Police, and Human Services?
Because he’s doing the work of two people: A Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Technology Officer. These are roles necessary for completing something of this magnitude and splitting the roles into two separate positions would definitely be more costly. Currently the average salary for a CEO/CTO in the US is $181,000.
Who will be contracted to run the fiber?
That remains to be seen. So far all VINGN has contracted is consulting, development and planning services. Local business who’d like to get in on the action should visit their website and make their presence known.
Would it not be far better to allow a private corporation with the technological resources to build and maintain this broadband infrastructure ?
It’s actually not very uncommon for city or state governments to implement their own Internet backbone. The very first Internet was on a government backbone. Here’s a story on one city that received a broadband grant. But I digress. These grants were available to whomever could make the most compelling case and ensure they can get the job done in their region. If anyone was competing with VINGN for the grants then they apparently lost. Crying about it now is like saying you should have won the scholarship even when the other guy got better grades than you. Should that stop a private corporation from doing the same work? Heck no. They just have to do it on their own dime. By the way, obtaining the technological resources to build and maintain the broadband infrastructure is covered in the grant.
Can we choose wireless towers instead of running more wires on WAPA poles again?
No and yes. No in that wireless signals are radio waves while fiber optics transmits beams of light. Simple physics: light is faster than radio. If we want a high speed network, fiber is the way to go. Yes in that you don’t run fiber optics above ground on poles. They’re way too delicate for that. Fiber has to be buried. WAPA’s involvement in the project is being able to supply power to all the conduit locations.
In conclusion, this has been a long time coming. We have a chance to take a quantum leap forward, surpass our neighbors in networking and telecommunication and create a competitive technology product that will spur competition and new business. We simply cannot afford to miss this opportunity. If we do we’ll be relying on the hope that some private industry will be willing to make the same investment. The chances of that happening is very unlikely. Now must be the time we make this happen.
Assess Government properties to determine whether new revenues can be raised
