Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology – December 8, 2009
Posted on December 8th, 2009
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Location: Room 151, State Capitol
Committee Information: Members on Committee
Agenda
The committee shall make continuing studies concerning the development of access to statewide public telecommunications network for distance learning, telemedicine, and universal access for governmental entities, and other issues concerning advanced communications and information technology, either initiated by the committee or referred to it by either house of the General Assembly for study, in the interim between sessions of the General Assembly. This committee shall review any plan developed or updated by a public instrumentality. The committee may seek the assistance of the Office of Information Technology of the Department of Information Systems in conducting this review. (A.C.A. 10-3-1704) The Committee shall exercise leadership in the interim between legislative sessions and shall attempt to coordinate for the various committees of the General Assembly the various activities, studies, and planning activities of the General Assembly which relate to the development of access to a statewide public telecommunications information infrastructure. The Committee shall cooperate with the Governor, with public secondary and postsecondary institutions of education, with the appropriate administrative agencies of this state, with legislative and administrative agencies and institutions of other states, and with the federal government and others in the planning and development of access to a statewide public telecommunications infrastructure linking institutions, businesses, government agencies, schools, hospitals, libraries, communities, and other public and private entities to the national information infrastructure. The Committee shall exercise appropriate legislative oversight of the operations of the Department of Information Systems. The staff of the Joint Committee on Advance Communications and Information Technology shall serve as staff liaison to the Department of Information Systems Advisory Board and the Department of Information Systems Steering Committee.
10:00 am – Meeting called to order by Senator Capps, Chairman.
10:01 am – The minutes from the August 6 and November 5th & 6th meetings.
10:08 am – Ken Gibson, Chief Information Officer for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is giving an overview of the Emergency Notification System to Arkansas citizens.
10:17 am – Questions from Rep Wood and Rep. Nix about municipal specific information.
10:18 am – Senator J. Jeffress is asking if the emergency notification system is using only land line numbers or if it also includes cellular. Mr. Gibson said that the system uses only 911 contacts for calls, but text messaging will go out to cellular users.
10:21 am – The Arkansas Dept. of Emergency Management does not make recommendations to what type of notification system a city should use, but they do recommend to citizens that you get a NOAA radio regardless of the system your city uses.
10:26 am – Don McDaniel, Network Manager of the Arkansas Department of Information Systems is presenting information on the Federal Broadband Stimulus Program Overview. This program is being administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Infrastructure Development Programs.
10:34 am – The best source of information about this program can be found at www.broadbandusa.gov.
10:37 am – Connect Arkansas is presenting information on the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (Also known as “the Stimulus”) grant for the National Telecommunications & Information Administration of apporximately $2.1 million to Connect Arkansas ($1.6 million for broadband data collection and $500,000 for broadband planning and mapping activities).
10:47 am – Apparently Arkansas has applied for about $17 million in grants, other states have on average applied for $88 million. Because Arkansas is so far ahead of other states in developing this concept, it is hoped by Connect Arkansas that Arkansas will be obtaining additional future funds.
11:04 am – We are still meeting, I just have little interest in reporting on the little pigs oinking and jockeying for a position at the trough.
11:23 am – Committee meeting adjourned.
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