State consultant
wants help setting isle
telecom policy
She asks public comment
By Rob Perez
on 'the state's first foray into
electronic democracy'
Star-BulletinLani Wright wants to hear from you. Via computer.
Wright, a consultant, is helping the state develop a policy that spells out how Hawaii's telecommunications needs can best be served.
A draft of the policy is posted on the Internet so people can comment on all or part of the plan.
Wright said she'd like to get comments from as many people as possible before she has to submit a final plan by the end of June.
She realizes that getting people to comment can be a challenge. Many aren't familiar with the Internet or aren't comfortable with computers, so Wright said the Web site was intentionally designed to be basic and straightforward.
People who don't have a computer or can't get online can access the Internet site through computers at state libraries, Wright said.
Another challenge, she said, is getting people to realize they have a personal stake in whatever policy the state adopts. How much people pay for phone service or how easily accessible the government is can be affected by a state policy, Wright said.
In the draft, state initiatives that would affect everything from cable TV access to wireless phone coverage are proposed.
If people don't provide feedback, Wright said, "the government will do what it thinks it should do first."
"This is really the state's first foray into electronic democracy," she added.
Among the goals listed in the draft plan: creating a world-class telecom infrastructure; reducing the cost of doing business in Hawaii; and ensuring that Hawaii citizens have equal opportunity to benefit from the infrastructure.
The $185,000 project, dubbed Hi-Time, is sponsored by the state and an arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The draft policy on telecommunications can be found on the Internet at http://www.pichtr.htdc.org/hitime.
