March 6, 2020 Leadership Team Meeting
TentativeSee Meeting Agenda and Conferencing links below
Steve Peters 520-321-1309
[email protected]
If possible, please engage by video rather that just audio so that we can also share our screens with you.
Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Audio and Video Conference Only - See Links Below
Tentative Agenda
Primary agenda item is to continue our discussion on the 2020 Stakeholder Network Plan.
Steve Peters 520-321-1309
[email protected]
If possible, please engage by video rather that just audio so that we can also share our screens with you.
Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
Audio and Video Conference Only - See Links Below
Tentative Agenda
Primary agenda item is to continue our discussion on the 2020 Stakeholder Network Plan.
- Welcome and Introductions
- Welcome Robert Jacobson, Chairman & Strategist, Atelier Tomorrow Inc.
- February 7 Meeting Summary
- Newsletter - Please provide articles
- AZBSN One Pager - Download Below
- AZ Legislative hearing on funding for rural Broadband next Wed 3/11 @ 9:00 am at the Capitol. Ben Blink with the Governor's Office is encouraging key supporters to attend and if not able to attend, to reach out to their Legislators to support the Broadband funding in the Gov's budget
- Arizona School Board Association Rural Alliance and Rural Advocacy Day February 17. The purpose of the Rural Alliance is to strategically enhance the work of ASBA and its member boards in cultivating excellence in locally governed rural and remote school districts, with a focus on: Networking opportunities to encourage positive, effective relationships and collaborative efforts among leaders of rural and remote school districts; Collective and strategic advocacy and member education to improve opportunities and outcomes for students in rural Arizona; Ensuring representation by rural and remote leaders within the governance of the ASBA.
- Helios Education Foundation Arizona Student Opportunity Collaborative – in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education, Arizona State University and seven rural school districts. Some of the rural communities/districts represented in the pilot program include: Ajo Unified, Camp Verde Unified, Prescott Unified School District, Humboldt Unified School District, Show Low Unified, Miami Unified, and Ray Unified. They are working on a network enabling students across Arizona to take the courses they need to graduate and matriculate successfully at college
- Local First Arizona 2020 Rural Policy Forum, August 5- 7, Sahuarita, Arizona
- Possible events schedule: Commissioner Marquez Peterson in April, a Roundtable in September, several newsletters and Webinars in March, May and others TBD. Other opportunities may come up as they did the end of last year and earlier this year
- March Webinar date and program: Possible presenters for the webinar may include some, but not all of the following: Janet Major and the Arizona Telemedicine Program; Mala Muralidharan, E-rate Administrator for Public Libraries, Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records; Derek Masseth, Executive Director, the Sun Corridor Network; Dominic Papa, Vice President, Smart State Initiatives, Arizona Commerce Authority and; Melissa Armas, Founder, AZ Blockchain Initiative.
- Tentative Date April 20: Broadband Policy Forum with Arizona Corporation Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson. She has recently been appointed to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners new NARUC Broadband Expansion
Task Force and would like input from Arizona. They would like to have a face-to-face meeting rather than a webinar. See Info below - Roundtable in September
- Announcements
- Sponsorships and Sponsor Investment Prop
| AZBSN One Pager 2020.pdf |
Forum With ACC Commissioner Marquez Peterson
Arizona Corporation Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson has been appointed to a National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners NARUC Presidential Broadband Expansion Task Force. The Task Force will study mechanisms to roll out broadband services to unserved areas. The Task Force may set NARUC policy on these issues via resolutions (on e.g., mapping, coordination
of federal and/or federal and state subsidy programs, pending legislation)
Issues that the Task Force, and Commissioner Marquez Peterson, will be addressing include:
Broadband redundancy and diversity for our state’s 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs)
Commissioner Peterson would also like to address the issue of broadband redundancy and diversity for our state’s 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs). After a motorist death in Payson in 2017, a 911 service outage in Pima County in 2019, and a 911 service outage in Page in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission has become concerned that our PSAPs may not have the sufficient broadband redundancy and diversity necessary to provide continuous and reliable 911 service in the event a broadband carrier’s service goes down. The Commission has also become concerned with respect to CenturyLink’s role in the recent instances and has asked staff to prepare an order to show cause to determine whether CenturyLink is doing enough to provide continuous and reliable service to PSAPs throughout Arizona. While the Commission’s staff works to prepare the order, Commissioner Marquez Peterson has also suggested that stakeholders form a “CenturyLink Working Group” or “911 Redundancy Working Group” to look at more immediate and pragmatic solutions for Arizona’s 911 PSAPs and investigate whether PSAPs can also serve as “anchor institutions” for purposes of furthering other broadband initiatives and programs. This working group may provide an additional topic to discuss at the next Broadband Stakeholder Network meeting.
About NARUC
NARUC, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the state public service commissions who regulate the utilities that provide essential services such as energy, telecommunications, power, water, and transportation. NARUC's members include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Most state commissioners are appointed to their positions by their governor or legislature, while commissioners in 14 states are elected. For a complete breakdown, click here. Their mission is to serve in the public interest by improving the quality and effectiveness of public utility regulation. Under state law, NARUC's members have an obligation to ensure the establishment and maintenance of utility services as may be required by law and to ensure that such services are provided at rates and conditions that are fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory for all consumers. Download the NARUC MEMORANDUM on the Creation of the NARUC Broadband Expansion Task Force below for additional details
About The Arizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission’s mission is to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility services; have railroad and pipeline systems that are operated and maintained in a safe manner; grow Arizona’s economy as we help local entrepreneurs achieve their dream of starting a business; modernize an efficient, effective, and responsive government agency; and protect Arizona citizens by enforcing an ethical securities marketplace. In most states, the Commission is known as the Public Service Commission or the Public Utility Commission. Our Commission, however, has responsibilities that go beyond traditional public utilities regulation. These additional roles include facilitating the incorporation of businesses and organizations, securities regulation and railroad/pipeline safety.
ACC Utilities Division: The Arizona Corporation Commission has jurisdiction over the quality of service and rates charged by public service utilities. By state law, public service utilities are regulated monopolies given the opportunity to earn a fair and reasonable return on their investments. What is fair and reasonable in any particular case has been and always will be open to debate in rate hearings before the Commission. Generally, the Commission tries to balance the customers' interest in affordable and reliable utility service with the utility's interest in earning a fair profit.
of federal and/or federal and state subsidy programs, pending legislation)
Issues that the Task Force, and Commissioner Marquez Peterson, will be addressing include:
- How some States have successfully shifted state universal service funds from telephone and op ex support to broadband buildout capital support and any lessons learned that other states could utilize.
- What other state programs are successfully building out broadband, how are they funded, and how are they structured.
- How NARUC and NARUC members can best work with the FCC to help craft Universal Service Fund programs that will be most successful at expanding broadband into unserved areas.
- Electric and gas utilities who have successfully leveraged their infrastructure to provide broadband service, including lessons learned from considering any regulatory hurdles, project funding mechanisms, the relative financial success for the utility, how (or should) State commissions incentivize such projects, and whether the overall approach can be replicated elsewhere.
- Information related to the impacts of rural broadband deployment on economic development, education, healthcare, quality of life, the delivery of public utilities services and its ultimate benefits to customers.
Broadband redundancy and diversity for our state’s 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs)
Commissioner Peterson would also like to address the issue of broadband redundancy and diversity for our state’s 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs). After a motorist death in Payson in 2017, a 911 service outage in Pima County in 2019, and a 911 service outage in Page in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission has become concerned that our PSAPs may not have the sufficient broadband redundancy and diversity necessary to provide continuous and reliable 911 service in the event a broadband carrier’s service goes down. The Commission has also become concerned with respect to CenturyLink’s role in the recent instances and has asked staff to prepare an order to show cause to determine whether CenturyLink is doing enough to provide continuous and reliable service to PSAPs throughout Arizona. While the Commission’s staff works to prepare the order, Commissioner Marquez Peterson has also suggested that stakeholders form a “CenturyLink Working Group” or “911 Redundancy Working Group” to look at more immediate and pragmatic solutions for Arizona’s 911 PSAPs and investigate whether PSAPs can also serve as “anchor institutions” for purposes of furthering other broadband initiatives and programs. This working group may provide an additional topic to discuss at the next Broadband Stakeholder Network meeting.
About NARUC
NARUC, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the state public service commissions who regulate the utilities that provide essential services such as energy, telecommunications, power, water, and transportation. NARUC's members include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Most state commissioners are appointed to their positions by their governor or legislature, while commissioners in 14 states are elected. For a complete breakdown, click here. Their mission is to serve in the public interest by improving the quality and effectiveness of public utility regulation. Under state law, NARUC's members have an obligation to ensure the establishment and maintenance of utility services as may be required by law and to ensure that such services are provided at rates and conditions that are fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory for all consumers. Download the NARUC MEMORANDUM on the Creation of the NARUC Broadband Expansion Task Force below for additional details
About The Arizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission’s mission is to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility services; have railroad and pipeline systems that are operated and maintained in a safe manner; grow Arizona’s economy as we help local entrepreneurs achieve their dream of starting a business; modernize an efficient, effective, and responsive government agency; and protect Arizona citizens by enforcing an ethical securities marketplace. In most states, the Commission is known as the Public Service Commission or the Public Utility Commission. Our Commission, however, has responsibilities that go beyond traditional public utilities regulation. These additional roles include facilitating the incorporation of businesses and organizations, securities regulation and railroad/pipeline safety.
ACC Utilities Division: The Arizona Corporation Commission has jurisdiction over the quality of service and rates charged by public service utilities. By state law, public service utilities are regulated monopolies given the opportunity to earn a fair and reasonable return on their investments. What is fair and reasonable in any particular case has been and always will be open to debate in rate hearings before the Commission. Generally, the Commission tries to balance the customers' interest in affordable and reliable utility service with the utility's interest in earning a fair profit.
| NARUC Broadband Taskforce.pdf |
2020 AZBSN Plan
- Coordination of 2 statewide in person Stakeholder Roundtables, with webinar/audio, web and video conferencing available. Roundtables may include: presentations; updates and information sharing; project/vendor showcase; networking
- Bi-monthly Webinars
- Periodic stakeholder email newsletters/updates such as announcements of federal, state and local resources and funding opportunities, events, articles, etc.
- Posting announcements on the ATIC and GAZEL LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts
- The ATIC/AZBSN website to include: a calendar of events related to broadband planning and related initiatives; overview/summaries of Arizona broadband planning initiatives, entities, contacts and resources, access to information about strategies and resources for planning and deployment of broadband
- An integrated GAZEL/ATIC CRM/database and email communication platform to connect with key leaders and interested parties representing stakeholder groups
- Collateral material such as AZBSN flyers
- Discussion of telecom planning and policy issues
- Exhibits at education, technology, government, healthcare, economic development conferences and events
- A collaboration platform
Audio/Video Conference Links
New Conferencing Instructions
Thanks to Derek Masseth at the University of Arizona for arranging this video and audio conferencing. You can choose to participate by video and/or audio on the web, or only audio by telephone. Here are the instructions.
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device
- PC or MAC: For audio, video and web conference on PC or Mac. Click Here to Join the Conference
- IOS: For audio, video and web conference on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Install App: Apple Store -"zoom".
- Enter meeting ID 753 706 980.
- Android: Audio, video and web conference on Android: Install App: Google Play - "zoom"
- Enter meeting ID 753 706 980.
- Video and web conference on computer and audio by telephone: Click Here to Join the Video/Web Conference. For audio by phone: Dial 669 900 6833. Enter meeting ID 669 900 6833. You will be prompted to enter your unique participant ID - Press # to skip
- Telephone Only - Dial 669 900 6833. Enter meeting ID 946 299 797. You will be prompted to enter your unique participant ID - Press # to skip