PEACH (People for Equal Access to Communication in Hartwood)

PURPOSE:  To ensure an equal access to high-speed communication infrastructure throughout Stafford county.

BACKGROUND:  The Stafford County government is increasingly relying upon the Internet to communicate with constituants yet many of those constituants are unable to access web based information.  This situation unfairly discriminates against those individuals who live in rural areas that do not meet the franchise agreements with ComCast Cable Inc. and Verizon, Inc. that requires no less than 20 households in a contiguous mile of roadway.  The Hartwood district has more than 100 households that do not have access to high-speed internet.  The infrastructure has not been built.  Although dial-up internet, satellite or air card access is available, the cost is considerably more than cable or fiber.  Additionally, these mediums severely limit transfer speeds and render the the government's and other complex webpages unusable by this group of taxpayers.  Tax dollars paid to develop these webpages and have in many cases become the primary means for obtaining forms and guidance.  Additionally, the children of Stafford county are increasingly being tasked to perform research and conduct educational work across the internet.  Children in the discriminated households who are limited by the means in which to reach the internet suffer.  Sufferage can be either through the amount of time required to complete work or through compounding expenses especially fuel, time and risk that result from having to travel to locations where high-speed internet access is available or to offices to retrieve paper copy forms.  When family budgets support these costs, often funds are not available for other activities such as field trips or spirit clothing.  Using public access points also may increase identity theft for this select group of taxpayers.  However, the county has entered into agreements that exclude this and other rural landowners and taxpayers from obtaining high-speed communications in their homes.

RECOMMENDATION:  The County must immediately take action to amend the franchise agreements with high-speed communication providers so as not to limit expansion of their networks within Stafford county thus ensuring equal access by all residents and taxpayers.

PURPOSE:  To ensure an equal access to high-speed communication infrastructure throughout Stafford county.

BACKGROUND:  The Stafford County government is increasingly relying upon the Internet to communicate with constituants yet many of those constituants are unable to access web based information.  This situation unfairly discriminates against those individuals who live in rural areas that do not meet the franchise agreements with ComCast Cable Inc. and Verizon, Inc. that requires no less than 20 households in a contiguous mile of roadway.  The Hartwood district has more than 100 households that do not have access to high-speed internet.  The infrastructure has not been built.  Although dial-up internet, satellite or air card access is available, the cost is considerably more than cable or fiber.  Additionally, these mediums severely limit transfer speeds and render the the government's and other complex webpages unusable by this group of taxpayers.  Tax dollars paid to develop these webpages and have in many cases become the primary means for obtaining forms and guidance.  Additionally, the children of Stafford county are increasingly being tasked to perform research and conduct educational work across the internet.  Children in the discriminated households who are limited by the means in which to reach the internet suffer.  Sufferage can be either through the amount of time required to complete work or through compounding expenses especially fuel, time and risk that result from having to travel to locations where high-speed internet access is available or to offices to retrieve paper copy forms.  When family budgets support these costs, often funds are not available for other activities such as field trips or spirit clothing.  Using public access points also may increase identity theft for this select group of taxpayers.  However, the county has entered into agreements that exclude this and other rural landowners and taxpayers from obtaining high-speed communications in their homes.

RECOMMENDATION:  The County must immediately take action to amend the franchise agreements with high-speed communication providers so as not to limit expansion of their networks within Stafford county thus ensuring equal access by all residents and taxpayers.