Statewide Web access?

By Staff Reports

State lawmakers must be just as uncertain as we are about the wider implications of becoming the first state to adopt the next generation of broadband communication and who should have access if it does.

Last week, lawmakers were mulling the option of adopting WiMax, which would allow extremely fast connection to the Internet from anywhere in the state and access to new interactive tools. They voted to appoint a panel of seven tech experts from the private sector to study the options and make recommendations to the State Budget and Control Board.

Access to the Internet in this day and age is like a utility, a necessary service people need to keep pace with a changing world. Wireless technology also is an increasingly necessary tool in classrooms, offices and homes.

WiMax technology is cutting- edge, wireless, interactive and about 10 times faster than current wireless broadband. State officials believe that it could be used to bring wireless Internet and new interactive tools to everyone in the state.

But that raises a variety of questions. Would that put the state in competition with local broadband providers in the private sector? If the state adopts the technology, would it be limited to rural areas that have no access to wireless services now? How about first responders such as EMS and police?

Some also worry that the technology is too new and untested. What if the state adopts WiMax and then new and better networks come along that make it obsolete?

We don't presume to have the answers to those questions. But the idea of a uniform statewide network is appealing. We also think it is crucial to extend wireless service to schools and isolated rural areas -- something akin to the rural electrification program of the 1930s and 1940s.

But we're also sympathetic to lawmakers who passed the issue along to a panel of tech experts. While the idea of a network covering the entire state is appealing, the techies are sure to provide a more accurate picture of what that might entail.