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JFC Votes to Abolish WiscNet
By John Forester(Don't Use) | June 6, 2011
In another late night fiasco, the Joint Finance Committee approved a broad omnibus motion on the UW System that includes provisions regarding telecommunications services currently provided by the UW System to other public entities. It appears the provisions are designed to accomplish two things:
- Attempt to force the UW (Extension and Madison) to return the $39 million in broadband grants to the federal government.
- Eliminate WiscNet as a viable cooperative Internet service provider by forcing the UW to give up membership in WiscNet and prevent WiscNet from buying engineering services from UW-Madison.
It seems clear that the big telecommunications corporations were behind this and that this provision will dramatically increase the cost of Internet services for public schools. The relevant portion of the omnibus motion appears below.
- Telecommunication Services: Prohibit the Board of Regents, the UW System, any UW institution, or the UW-Extension, directly or indirectly, from doing any of the following: (a) receiving funds from any award from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Building Community Capacity through Broadband (BCCB) project; (b) disbursing, spending, loaning, granting, or in any other way distributing or committing to distribute any funds received with respect to, budgeted to, or allocated for the BCCB project; and (c) participating in the planning, organization, funding, implementation or operation of the BCCB project. In addition, require the Board of Regents to reduce the amount expended on telecommunications services during the 2011-13 biennium by the total value of any funds, goods, or services that have been or will be distributed or committed to be distributed by or on behalf of the Board of Regents, the UW System, any UW institution, or the UW-Extension on or after May 1, 2011, to any participant, contractor, or supplier related to the BCCB project.
- Modify current law to specify that the Board of Regents shall not offer, resell, or provide telecommunications services, directly or indirectly, that are available from a private telecommunications carrier to the general public or to any other public or private entity. Define telecommunications services as including data and voice over Internet protocol services, Internet protocol services, broadband access and transport, information technology services, Internet access services, and unlit fiber.
- Prohibit the Board of Regents, the UW System, any UW Institution, or the UW-Extension from becoming or remaining a member, shareholder, or partner in or with any company, corporation, non-profit association, joint venture, cooperative, partnership, consortium, or any other individual or entity that offers, resells, or provides telecommunications services or information technology services to members of the general public, or to any private entity, or to any public entity other than the Board, the UW System, any UW Institution, or the UW-Extension.
- Specify that WiscNet could no longer be a department or office within the UW-Madison Division of Information Technology beginning on July 1, 2012, and delete $1,400,000 PR from the UW System related to WiscNet in 2012-13. Require the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct a program audit and a financial audit of the Board of Regents’ use of telecommunication services and relationship with WiscNet.
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