Arkansas needs to gather more information before it can determine the cost and feasibility of providing adequate broadband Internet access to schools throughout the state, a new report says.
The $71,500 study, from consultant Picus Odden and Associates, is one of two being compiled at the request of the Legislature.
The chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Little Rock Democrat Joyce Elliott, said the report is helpful.
"They were able to tell us we might not need to be as aggressive about our bandwidth, that our plans are good and correct at this point," she said. "They weren't able to tell us what the cost is per student until we know more from when we do the district-level assessment we have planned."
The Picus Odden study concluded that a goal to provide every student with the capability to transfer 100 kilobits per second of data was reasonable, but the state might not need to reach the federal goal of providing 1 gigabit of Internet capacity for every 1,000 students.
Kilobits and gigabits are measures of Internet data storage. The more data that can move per second over the Internet, the faster the Internet connection, which makes it easier to stream videos or participate in live classes or tests.
"The current standard that [federal officials] have is not unreasonable," said Scott Price, with Picus Odden. "The 2017-18 standard they put forward may be too aggressive at this point, but it may be something worth looking at in the future."
Internet access in Arkansas has been scrutinized over the past two years as both the Legislature and the governor directed study committees to examine the availability of Internet in the state's public schools.
The lack of bandwidth is starting to cause problems for school districts as more standardized tests are offered only online. Act 1280 of 2013, passed by the Arkansas Legislature, also requires every school to provide at least one interactive online course, beginning this fall.
In addition to the Picus Odden study, legislators also approved an on-the-ground, district-by-district study of what services are available, what equipment exists, how much schools are paying for service and how much more broadband access they need to meet the state's goal for Internet speed available to every student by 2018.
The Picus Odden study concluded that until that planned assessment is complete, the state cannot move forward with a funding plan or any recommendations on building infrastructure or tapping into existing infrastructure.
Private Internet providers and broadband advocates have tussled over whether the state should open up the system of high-capacity fiber optic cables that connect the state's public universities, two-year colleges, research hospitals and some libraries. The Arkansas Research Education Optical Network, known as ARE-ON, is a public-private partnership that uses Internet cable owned by the private providers and leased and managed by the public entity. Providers want to keep the network closed.
Len Pitcock, a spokesman and director of government affairs with Cox Communications, a private Internet provider, said he agreed with Picus Odden's conclusion.
"Until we get an accurate boots-on-the-ground picture in Arkansas, any discussion of a solution is premature," Pitcock said.
Several legislators said the presentation Tuesday rehashed a lot of existing information that many on the committees had heard several times.
"I questioned it when the committee recommended this study," said Rep. Charlotte Douglas, R-Alma. "I was told then that they'd be analyzing data already collected, and I questioned whether or not that would be productive. I just want to make sure ... it is the people's money and we have the responsibility to make sure that we're paying for the product we need and that we do not leave enough flexibility in the instructions that we do not get our money's worth."
Rep. Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia and incoming Speaker of the House, said the report was useful.
"I was pleased, because I think this report helped us look ahead a little bit," Gillam said. "We asked them to tell us where we are at, and their answer was 'We can't tell yet.' That was an honest answer. I think it really framed the importance of our proposal that we'll be getting back in December."
Metro on 09/10/2014