Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/28/2022 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB111 | |
| SB234 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 234 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 111 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE STANDING COMMITTEE
March 28, 2022
1:35 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mia Costello, Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Joshua Revak, Vice Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 111(FIN)
"An Act relating to the practice of dental hygiene; relating to
advanced practice permits for dental hygienists; relating to
dental assistants; prohibiting unfair discrimination under group
health insurance against a dental hygienist who holds an
advanced practice permit; relating to medical assistance for
dental hygiene services; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED SCS CSHB 111(L&C) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 234
"An Act establishing the office of broadband; creating the
broadband parity adjustment fund; establishing the Statewide
Broadband Advisory Board; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 111
SHORT TITLE: DENTAL HYGIENIST ADVANCED PRAC PERMIT
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) SPOHNHOLZ
02/24/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/24/21 (H) L&C, FIN
03/29/21 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
03/29/21 (H) Heard & Held
03/29/21 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
03/31/21 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM BARNES 124
03/31/21 (H) Moved CSHB 111(L&C) Out of Committee
03/31/21 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
04/05/21 (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) 7DP
04/05/21 (H) DP: KAUFMAN, SCHRAGE, MCCARTY, NELSON,
SNYDER, FIELDS, SPOHNHOLZ
05/11/21 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM ADAMS 519
05/11/21 (H) INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
05/15/21 (H) FIN AT 10:00 AM ADAMS 519
05/15/21 (H) Heard & Held
05/15/21 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
05/19/21 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM ADAMS 519
05/19/21 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
02/02/22 (H) FIN AT 9:00 AM ADAMS 519
02/02/22 (H) Moved CSHB 111(FIN) Out of Committee
02/02/22 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
02/04/22 (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) 6DP 1NR
02/04/22 (H) DP: ORTIZ, EDGMON, THOMPSON, WOOL,
JOSEPHSON, FOSTER
02/04/22 (H) NR: MERRICK
02/17/22 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
02/17/22 (H) VERSION: CSHB 111(FIN)
02/22/22 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/22/22 (S) L&C, FIN
03/21/22 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/21/22 (S) Heard & Held
03/21/22 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
03/28/22 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
BILL: SB 234
SHORT TITLE: BROADBAND: OFFICE, GRANTS, PARITY
SPONSOR(s): LABOR & COMMERCE
03/16/22 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/16/22 (S) L&C, FIN
03/23/22 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/23/22 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard
03/28/22 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
KATIE MCCALL, Staff
Senator Mia Costello
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the changes in the Senate
Committee Substitute (SCS), version G, for HB 111.
CHELSEA WARD-WALLER, Staff
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Stated that the sponsor supports the changes
in the SCS for HB 111.
KATIE MCCALL, Staff
Senator Mia Costello
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 234 on behalf of the
committee.
CHRISTINE O'CONNER, Executive Director
Alaska Telecom Association (ATA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony in support of SB
234.
MARK SPRINGER, Consultant
Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Tribal Broadband Consortium
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 234.
HAROLD JOHNSTON, President and Founder
Alaska Tribal Broadband
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Voiced concerns about SB 234.
SHAWN WILLIAMS, Vice President
Government Affairs and Strategy
Pacific Dataport Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 234.
LESIL MCGUIRE, Consultant
OneWeb
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 234.
BRITTANY WOODS-ORRISON, Native Movement
Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AkPIRG)
Rampart, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on SB 234 to
highlight the problems and high cost of internet service in
rural Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:35:23 PM
CHAIR MIA COSTELLO called the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Gray-Jackson, Micciche, and Chair Costello.
HB 111-DENTAL HYGIENIST ADVANCED PRAC PERMIT
1:35:55 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL
NO. 111(FIN) "An Act relating to the practice of dental hygiene;
relating to advanced practice permits for dental hygienists;
relating to dental assistants; prohibiting unfair discrimination
under group health insurance against a dental hygienist who
holds an advanced practice permit; relating to medical
assistance for dental hygiene services; and providing for an
effective date."
CHAIR COSTELLO noted that this was the second hearing and there
was a Senate Committee Substitute (SCS) for the committee to
consider.
1:36:24 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to adopt the work draft Senate Committee
Substitute (SCS) for HB 111, work order 32-LS0480\G, as the
working document.
1:36:42 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO objected for an explanation of the changes.
1:36:51 PM
KATIE MCCALL, Staff, Senator Mia Costello, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that the changes from
version I to version G for HB 111 are as follows:
Page 6, line 18 the term "and Social Services" is removed to
reflect the recent split of the Department of Health and Social
Services into two separate departments.
1:37:24 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO removed her objection. Finding no further
objection, she stated that version G was adopted. She asked the
sponsor's staff if she would like to comment before the
committee took action on the bill.
1:37:36 PM
CHELSEA WARD-WALLER, Staff, Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Alaska
State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, stated that the sponsor
supports the changes in the SCS for HB 111. She noted that
version G also changes the effective date for the regulations to
be after July 1, 2022, which is the effective date for the
split.
1:38:14 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report the SCS for CSHB 111, work
order 32-LS0480\G, from committee with individual
recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
1:38:32 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO found no objection and SCS CSHB 111(L&C) was
reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.
1:38:38 PM
At ease
SB 234-BROADBAND: OFFICE, GRANTS, PARITY
1:42:09 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 234 "An Act establishing the
office of broadband; creating the broadband parity adjustment
fund; establishing the Statewide Broadband Advisory Board; and
providing for an effective date."
She noted that this was the first hearing and the intent was to
hear the introduction followed by invited and public testimony.
1:42:40 PM
KATIE MCCALL, Staff, Senator Mia Costello, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SB 234 on behalf of the
committee, paraphrasing the sponsor statement that read as
follows:
Senate Bill 234 establishes important guidelines for
Alaska to qualify for nearly two billion dollars of
broadband funds, while creating parity between urban
and rural Alaska customers in a manner that allows for
high speed, reliable internet services to be provided
at an affordable rate.
In May 2021, Governor Dunleavy issued Administrative
Order No. 322, to create a Task Force on Broadband to
develop policy objectives and steps necessary to
prepare Alaska for a large influx of money designed to
move the state into the 21st century by significantly
increasing and improving our broadband infrastructure.
SB 234 seeks to codify the task force recommendations
through the creation of the Office of Broadband in the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic
Development (DCCED), which will prioritize broadband
service expansion in the following order of priority:
unserved areas, underserved areas, and anchor
institutions. The duties will include:
• Expand broadband access and digital equity in the
state through federal and local partnerships
• Focus on broadband infrastructure projects that
meet certain speed, latency, reliability, and
scalability requirements, while maintaining
neutrality within those requirements
• Develop a procedure for adoption of broadband
service maps
• Identify scalable and sustainable technologies
that meet the needs of state residents into the
future
• Support broadband equity and affordability for
all state residents
• Develop a procedure for the issuance of grants
• Review and consider recommendations of the
Statewide Broadband Advisory Board (SBAB)
SB 234 also establishes the Broadband Parity
Adjustment Fund (BPAF), which is a separate fund in
the Alaska treasury. The BPAF is created with the
express purpose of offsetting consumer costs and
making grants to eligible beneficiaries to improve the
performance and access to services where, in many
instances, it does not currently exist.
Lastly, SB 234 creates the Statewide Broadband
Advisory Board to provide informed recommendations on
broadband policy goals and objectives. The board will
act in an advisory capacity to the Broadband Office to
identify project proposals and develop criteria for
mapping and data collection, while striving to fulfill
the long list of recommendations that emerged from the
extensive work of the Governor's Task Force on
Broadband.
1:45:37 PM
MS. MCCALL presented the sectional analysis for SB 234 that read
as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Section 1 on Page 1, Line 5 - AS 44.33
Creates a new section, AS 44.33.910, to establish the
Office of Broadband in the Department of Commerce,
Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) and
details the Office of Broadband's purpose, powers, and
duties, to include:
• Expand broadband access and digital equity in the
state through federal and local partnerships, while
maintaining technological neutrality, with
prioritization of service expansion in the following
order: unserved areas, underserved areas, and anchor
institutions.
• Develop a procedure for adoption of broadband
service maps that incorporates the forthcoming
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maps in
accordance with the Federal Broadband DATA Act, and
a process to challenge the accuracy of broadband
service maps used to determine availability and
adequacy of service.
• Streamline permitting processes and encourage
development of in-state workforce to facilitate
expeditious and sustainable infrastructure
deployment.
• Establish a grant program and broadband parity
adjustments.
Page 3, Line 12 - AS 44.33.915
• Establishes the Broadband Parity Adjustment Fund
(BPAF)
• The BPAF is a separate fund in the treasury which
allows for grants to offset the costs of broadband
services for eligible consumers.
• Funds can come from money appropriated by the
legislature, federal funds, and interest earned on
the fund balance.
1:47:20 PM
Page 4, Line 5 AS 44.33.920
• Establishes the Statewide Broadband Advisory Board.
• The purpose of the Board is to provide input,
recommendations, and advice regarding state
broadband policy, goals, and objectives, as well as
project selection, mapping and data collection, and
progress made on the recommendations of the
Governor's Task Force on Broadband.
• Composed of eleven members: the commissioners from
DCCED and the Department of Education & Early
Development (DEED), and nine members appointed by
the governor representing:
similar local government
similar An Alaska Native Corporation
similar A tribal government
similar A school district
similar The University of Alaska
similar The health care community
similar The broadband industry
similar A broadband consumer
Section 2 on Page 5, Line 2
This Act sunsets on June 30, 2030
Section 3 on Page 5, Line 3
Establishes an immediate effective date under AS
01.10.070(c)
1:48:46 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO turned to the invited testimony.
1:49:07 PM
CHRISTINE O'CONNER, Executive Director, Alaska Telecom
Association (ATA), Anchorage, Alaska, stated that SB 234 will
provide the structure to take advantage of this once in a
generation opportunity to use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (IIJA) funding to extend broadband into an unexpected number
of places in Alaska.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if she was a member of the governor's
taskforce and testifying in that capacity or for Alaska Telecom
Association.
MS. O'CONNOR replied she was testifying as the Executive
Director of ATA. The Governor's Taskforce on Broadband completed
its work on November 1, 2021, but while it was operational she
was a member and served as the chair of the technical subgroup
for the task force.
MS. O'CONNOR restated that SB 234 puts the tools in place so
that Alaska's Office of Broadband can administer Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds and coordinate across
programs and federal agencies to create a plan to deploy
broadband throughout the state, as required by the
infrastructure bill. On behalf of ATA, she stated support for SB
234. She added that she supports the legislation personally
because she grew up in rural Alaska and has experience with how
transformative it is to have access to robust broadband.
1:51:58 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE pointed out that the Broadband Parity
Adjustment Fund is not a dedicated fund so the legislature may
appropriate money into or out of that fund at will. He asked Ms.
O'Conner to comment.
1:52:50 PM
MS. O'CONNER said she can only speak to what the infrastructure
bill requires. That is that each state will receive a specific
amount of IIJA funds that must be used according to rules that
the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA)
will announce in mid-May 2022.
SENATOR MICCICHE said he mentioned this as a reminder that
dedicated funding is not constitutional. The IIJA funds will
come into one place, but it is available for other purposes. He
noted that the Broadband Parity Adjustment Fund allows gifts,
requests, and contributions from other sources so private money
can be invested in this fund.
1:54:42 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked if she was familiar with the concerns
that Pacific Dataport might have with the bill.
MS. O'CONNER replied that she was aware that they expressed
concern with the language in the companion bill HB 363 that
discusses latency and calls for scalability. She pointed out
that those terms are used in the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act so the terms are not an unknown.
1:55:35 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked if she had any comment on the other
concerns Pacific Dataport articulated in the letter they
submitted on SB 234.
MS. O'CONNER replied she was not familiar with what those
concerns were.
CHAIR COSTELLO informed the listening public that her office had
not received a copy of the letter that Senator Gray-Jackson
mentioned but was aware of the letter sent regarding the house
version of the bill.
1:56:30 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Ms. O'Conner to point out the things in the
bill that are from the federal legislation and not Alaska-
specific.
MS. O'CONNOR replied that the first section [Sec. 44.33.910]
that establishes the Office of Broadband and its duties parallel
the infrastructure bill. She noted that the call to streamline
permitting was a taskforce recommendation. She did not recall
whether or not that was in the infrastructure bill, but the rest
of this section definitely parallels the infrastructure bill.
She said Sec. 44.33.915 relating to the Broadband Parity
Adjustment Fund is a taskforce recommendation and is something
the Governor's Office has asked NTIA for the flexibility to have
such a program. The language in the Infrastructure Act does
allow a program like this in the equity and adoption sections of
the bill.
Sec. 44.33.920 that establishes a Statewide Broadband Advisory
Board is a taskforce recommendation but the Infrastructure bill
also requires every state to have extensive consultation as they
develop their broadband plan, so this board will be able to help
with those duties.
1:59:12 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if she had information about the size of
the broadband taskforce or advisory boards that other states
have.
MS. O'CONNOR replied that she would provide that information to
the committee.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked her to discuss latency and how it is
defined in SB 234.
MS. O'CONNOR explained that latency is in the definition of
"unserved" in Section 1 on page 3, lines 5-7. It reads:
(2) "unserved area" means an area that does not have
broadband speeds of at least 25 Megabits per second
downstream and at least 3 Megabits per second upstream
with a latency sufficient to support real-time
interactive applications;
She said that means that regardless of the technology, it has to
meet the standard that in other federal programs is less than
100 milliseconds. SB 234 doesn't use that definition, it just
says the technology has to be capable of two-way video. The
Infrastructure bill goes further; it not only uses the
definitions of "unserved" and "underserved" it also requires
that any projects built with IIJA funding must meet the
threshold of latency sufficiency for two-way interaction.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked if it matters that the definition in the
bill doesn't exactly match the federal definition.
MS. O'CONNOR replied that definition is firm in many federal
programs so NTIA will likely require it. It is also required by
the USDA and the FCC. She didn't believe the 100 milliseconds
has to be referenced but as NTIA issues the rules she expects to
see more details on latency.
2:02:06 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on SB 234.
2:02:26 PM
MARK SPRINGER, Consultant, Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Tribal
Broadband Consortium, Bethel, Alaska, stated that the consortium
is an NTIA broadband grant applicant and currently is testing a
low earth orbit satellite solution in the village of Akiak where
last mile wireless service is provided to all households in the
community. They are also testing middle mile with a terminal in
the Bethel office.
He informed the committee that tribal broadband advocates and
NTIA tribal applicants view this opportunity for broadband as a
gift of technology that will be handed down to subsequent
generations. The only corollary he can think of is the
establishment of the land grant college that turned into the
University of Alaska System.
MR. SPRINGER encouraged the committee to consider amending SB
234 to include the positive changes that have been made in the
House companion bill, HB 363. This would include recognizing
tribal partnerships, which is appropriate since the first
broadband development money coming to Alaska will be through
National Telecommunications and Information Administrations
(NTIA) grants to the federally recognized tribes in the state.
He acknowledged that some language remains in both bills that is
viewed as problematic. The concern is that without specific
wording or clear legislative intent, the state broad office will
promulgate regulations and policies developed by the broadband
advisory board that potentially will favor existing carriers and
internet service providers. This would be morally and
competitively unfair due to the efforts undertaken by tribes and
their broadband development organizations and partners.
MR. SPRINGER stated that he continues to believe that there
should be a mechanism for the chair, several members, and
advisory board staff to convene and teleconference the meetings
in unserved and underserved areas. This would make the public
process far more inclusive and give the members and staff a
taste of what service is like in many rural communities. He also
expressed hope that the committee would further amend the bill
to include a technical subcommittee.
MR. SPRINGER highlighted that the telephone and internet
companies in the state already have maps of the unserved and
underserved areas in the state. Those companies know where every
millimeter of copper goes, who all their wireless data customers
are, and they have post office boxes for those customers. He
stressed the importance of encouraging the industry in the
strongest possible terms to provide that information to the FCC
for the mapping process in the hopes that mapping in Alaska can
be completed before any other states.
2:07:40 PM
HAROLD JOHNSTON, President, Alaska Tribal Broadband (ATB),
Anchorage, Alaska, stated that he founded ATB with the goal of
improving broadband service on tribal lands. He recounted his
professional credentials and opined that broadband service on
tribal lands in Alaska was the worst he had ever seen. He noted
that he is currently working with a 30-tribe consortium that is
applying for an NTIA grant. He reported that 28 of the 30 tribes
do not and will not have access to fiber for several years. They
have not had access to online education throughout the pandemic
and telehealth services have been beyond reach. At best, these
tribes receive 10 megabits download at a cost of $300 per month.
Most tribes receive from 2 to 6 megabits download for $215 per
month. He stressed that people in urban areas would not put up
with this quality of service.
MR. JOHNSTON confirmed that some of the language in SB 234 was a
concern. He highlighted that his company currently was
implementing tribal broadband. He said funding is available from
the federal government to bring about a solution fairly quickly.
His company helped to implement tribal broadband for Akiak with
the 2.5 gigahertz last mile network using the first application
of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite in the country, and is
currently implementing broadband for the Native Village of
Unalakleet. He stated, "As opposed to the kinds of broadband
services available to our tribes now, we're able to deliver 25
Mbps of download at a minimum level, at a fraction of the price
that's available now."
MR. JOHNSTON said he supports fiber buildout, but the tribes
will not have access to that for some time and fiber will never
reach some tribes. For this reason it is important to look at
all the available technologies, including satellite. It should
not be an either or decision because LEO satellites and others
that are coming online are able to provide near term solutions.
MR. JOHNSTON stated that there are no federal rules that are
specific to Alaska, and he didn't believe that the federal
government fully understood the geography and environment in
Alaska. He noted that the leading broadband company that just
left Alaska lobbied NTIA to allow an exception for fiber because
of the state's unique situation.
2:13:10 PM
SHAWN WILLIAMS, Vice President, Government Affairs and Strategy,
Pacific Dataport Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, stated that he was
formerly the assistant commissioner of commerce for the state.
He read the following prepared testimony.
In the last 24 months, some rural Alaska tribes have
developed tribal consortiums and started launching
their own broadband networks with wireless last mile
and satellite middle mile. This new satellite middle
mile technology is the most efficient, sustainable,
scalable, and lowest cost to the customers. Our two
companies, Microcom and Pacific Data Port, are helping
them do this. It's kind of a broadband in a box
solution for the tribes and tribal consortiums.
Let me clarify that the ATA does not represent middle
mile firms like Pacific Dataport, tribes or tribal
consortiums or small ISPs like Microcom. They
represent fiber telecoms and they do a great job.
I would like to take this time to share two
recommendations that I believe would make this bill
stronger for rural Alaska, encourage competition, and
encourage sound economic decisions.
We can encourage competition by removing any terms
like "latency" and "scalable." These terms are
subjective and not technology neutral, serving only to
exclude satellites as an option. We also need to
ensure that Alaska tribes and tribal consortiums and
non-telecom providers have access to this funding as
eligible grantees. These are the organizations that
are currently deploying broadband to unserved villages
in rural Alaska, and the companies they are hiring
have extensive broadband experience in Alaska.
We can encourage sound economic decisions by requiring
this bill develop near- and long-term strategies for
deploying affordable broadband statewide using
economic criteria like impact on consumer costs,
timeline for deployment, breadth of coverage,
sustainability without further subsidy, reliability,
speed, and employing multiple technologies as required
while maintaining real technology neutrality.
The bottom line: we cannot let this bill exclude the
tribes and eliminate technology like [GHOSt] and
sometimes LEO satellite that will get them connected
quickly with affordable broadband. We also cannot
continue favoring one technology that's taking forever
to deploy - fiber, and usually ends up too expensive
for the rural consumer. We need a fair market
competition approach to broadband in rural Alaska.
Let's make this part of the solution for rural Alaska
and support the tribes in doing this themselves.
2:16:07 PM
MR. WILLIAMS continued his testimony:
There's one problem no one's addressing. The Alaska
Broadband Taskforce in this bill prioritized there'll
be more subsidized fiber networks where the consumer
ends up paying high prices for slow internet. These
are rural networks where people are paying $400, $500
per month. Do we really want to prioritize expensive,
subsidized fiber projects that produce expensive and
slow internet for rural Alaska? These are the facts
[that] anyone who takes 10 minutes to get online [can]
find out [about] what these fiber projects are
producing for consumers in Alaska.
The last thing I'll add is the IIJA allows states to
customize their broadband office awards and
recommendations considerable to address the state's
weak area - like the missing middle mile that Alaska
has. The IIJA does set priorities like unserved and
then underserved and the definition of "unserved" and
"underserved." Those are uncontested facts.
I recently submitted written testimony with Dataport's
recommended changes to SB 234. Please find a moment to
review those suggestions. Pacific Dataport appreciates
that the bill prioritizes the unserved and works to
organize Alaska's broadband funding. We believe that
it is needed; it just needs a few tweaks here and
there. We encourage the spirit of competition and
anything that promotes broadband expansion,
efficiency, and lower prices for rural Alaskans.
2:17:55 PM
LESIL MCGUIRE, Consultant, OneWeb, Anchorage, Alaska, stated
that OneWeb's first constellation of low earth satellites in
polar orbit is helping to close the digital divide in Alaska. As
the first LEO licensed operator, OneWeb has launched 358 of the
planned 648 satellites in this initial constellation. Because
those satellites are orbiting directly over Alaska, OneWeb is
ready to connect both unconnected and under-connected Alaskans.
The intent is to continue to launch every seven years to ensure
infrastructure integrity in the future. The company has opened
an office in Alaska and is ready to continue to connect
communities.
MS. MCGUIRE said an important distinction about OneWeb is that
as a wholesaler it sells capacity to local Alaskan companies
through distribution partnerships. She agreed with Mr. Springer
that this is an unprecedented opportunity for Alaska, and
relayed her belief that as the appropriating body, the
legislature should steer the policy.
MS. MCGUIRE asked the committee to consider providing maximum
flexibility in the bill because the IIJA regulation writing
process was still underway and the definitions had not been
established. She stressed the importance of technology
neutrality, said middle mile should be mentioned, and suggested
the Office of Broadband be encouraged to emphasize that it is
the piece that allows competition to flourish and sets consumers
free.
MS. MCGUIRE expressed excitement about having satellite projects
up and running and able to provide high speed low latency, with
minimal infrastructure in communities. She urged that the bill
emphasize tech neutrality, partnering with tribes, inclusive
language, and promotion of competition. Finally, she urged some
level of legislative oversight throughout the process.
2:24:24 PM
BRITTANY WOODS-ORRISON, Native Movement, Alaska Public Interest
Research Group (AkPIRG), Rampart, Alaska, stated that for the
first time United Utilities, a GCI company, has turned Wi-Fi on
in her community. The cost is $385 and in three days three
families used up their service. She noted that Rampart also owns
its own FCC license as a tribal community, which should be
encouraged instead of relying on telecoms as has always been the
case. She stressed that unserved and underserved communities
should have the power to control their own livelihood. They
should be part of broadband mapping because they have knowledge
of the infrastructure in their own area and know what technology
options are available. If unserved and underserved communities
are not involved in the process, the existing system will be
reinforced, more money will be spent, and internet access will
not improve. She stressed the importance of transparency,
accountability, education materials, and for consumers to have
the power and choice to strengthen the state. She concluded her
comments saying that the people who are closest to the problem
are closest to the solution.
2:26:15 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO discerned no one else wished to testify and
closed public testimony on SB 234.
CHAIR COSTELLO held SB 234 in committee for further
consideration.
2:26:35 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Costello adjourned the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing
Committee meeting at 2:26 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 111 Written Testimony AARP.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
HB 111 |
| HB 111 Letter of Support.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
HB 111 |
| CSHB 111 Work Draft V. G.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
HB 111 |
| SB 234 Letter of Support GCI.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Letter of Support ATA.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Letter of Opposition 3.23.22.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Fiscal Note 1027 - DCCED.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Sectional Analysis V. A.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Support Doc. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - Broadband.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |
| SB 234 Written Testimony PDI.pdf |
SL&C 3/28/2022 1:30:00 PM |
SB 234 |