A New Approach
Right on the mark.
Congratulations to Holly Kauffman on being
named a 2016 Sharp Shooter. Your leadership
and dedication are an inspiration.
We’re proud to call you one of our own.
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west virginia executive
Improving broadband in West Virginia will require a collaborative approach. State leaders must provide leadership
and support, and the private sector must provide technical
and operational support. The private sector telecommunications companies in West Virginia—Citynet, Frontier, Lumos,
Shentel, Suddenlink and others—have the talent, expertise, experience and resources to get the job done. Any new networks,
systems or technical assets installed would be best served by
the private sector companies providing the operational and
maintenance oversight.
Let me be clear: I do not believe improving the state's socalled middle-mile networks will improve broadband for our
friends and neighbors, despite the claims made in recent legislation. On the contrary, we have sufficient, viable fiber trunk
networks to carry the high-volume, long-haul traffic. Instead,
what we need are many last-mile network investments that can
improve capacity, speed and bandwidth along the most rural,
remote segments and pathways to West Virginia citizens who
live outside our towns and cities. Those are the toughest areas
to serve, the ones where the traditional return-on-investment
models have perhaps caused private corporations to direct improvements elsewhere.
Instead of debating the essence of the state’s broadband deficiencies, I am suggesting a leadership model that will address—
and overcome—such challenges.
High technology communication networks are dynamic,
complicated systems of engineered assets. They require careful,
frequent maintenance and nearly constant oversight and monitoring. Such networks are also susceptible to frequent technological changes. How well would your iPhone perform if
you ignored all of the required iOS system upgrades and app
updates? In the same regard, without care and expertise backed
by well-timed updates and upgrades, investments in wide-area
systems that support top-notch broadband networks fall victim
to technological obsolescence.
Improving broadband in West Virginia is not a job for state
government, but state government can—and should—play a vital
role in the process. Three decades ago, state leadership wanted
fiber optic communication trunk lines installed in West Virginia.
They saw a global market opportunity whereby the state could
compete and win, and a vision was born. The governor at that
time worked with the private sector and legislative leadership to
get the job done. Bringing all the potential private-sector providers together, the governor defined the situation, the challenges,
the opportunities and the potential upside. He challenged the
telecommunications experts to design a solution and provide
him with an estimated cost and timetable for getting the job
done. His message was clear and simple: “We need to get this
job done. We need you to invest and build out these assets in
West Virginia, and we will provide an offset—an investment
tax credit—to help you defray the cost burden associated with
the requisite capital costs.”
The governor, acting on behalf of and with the support of
the legislative leaders, essentially locked the telecommunications executives in a room and held them captive until they