Southwestern Oregon’s Regional
Fiber Optic Consortia General Information
April 2000
Background
In early 1999, local officials in Lane, Klamath,
Douglas, and Coos Counties and the cities in their jurisdictions
met and discussed the formation of a public organization to facilitate
access for communities throughout the region to broadband, high
speed fiber optic facilities. These infrastructure improvements
are essential for government services, distance learning, telemedicine,
economic development, and other public services in the 21st Century
information-based economy.
On December 6, 1999, the Fiber South and Lane
Klamath Regional Fiber Optic Consortiums held their first board
of directors meeting in a joint format. The Consortia boards
elected officers and approved bylaws.
The boards also established policies for developing
the Consortia facilities. Those policies included
the development of a process to create and evaluate
private-sector proposals for development and operation of the
fiber optic system; and continued coordination and cooperation
with and among public and private partners to accomplish the
Consortia’s goals and objectives. With the high costs to
stay current with ever-changing technology, the boards established
a general policy to seek competitive proposals for a private
sector partner that would design and operate the fiber optic
backbone through the regions as an "open platform" to
encourage competition among a wide variety of providers.
Goals
The primary goal of these regional telecommunications
consortium boards is to facilitate access to broadband fiber
optic facilities for all communities interested in providing
essential public services in the region, including: distance
learning and training opportunities, telemedicine services, economic
development and delivery of public services.
Current Objectives
2000 - Complete selection process for private-sector developer/operator
2001 - Establish specific applications on the fiber system
2002 - Provide broadband services throughout the four county
region
Members
The Fiber South and Lane-Klamath Regional Fiber
Consortiums are public entities formed under Oregon Revised Statutes
Chapter 190. Members of the organization include cities,
counties, or other public entities allowed under the statute
and as determined appropriate by the Consortium board. Current
members and those involved in some phase of application for membership
include: FIBER SOUTH - Creswell, Cottage Grove, Lane County,
Drain, Yoncalla, Sutherlin, Roseburg, Reedsport, Coos County,
Coos Bay, North Bend, Coquille, Bandon, Myrtle
Point, Florence, Veneta, Eugene, and Lincoln County.
LANE/KLAMATH – Coburg,
Springfield, Lowell, Westfir, Oakridge, Lane County, Klamath
Falls, Merrill and Klamath County.
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