High speed internet is a key issue, Vap says

An increase in high speed internet access is key to Nebraska’s future, according Gerald Vap of the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

Vap, the NPSC’s fifth district commissioner, toured the panhandle recently to promote the commission’s use of the universal service fund for the broadband pilot program. Over the last three years, about three-fourths of Kimball County and more than a third of Banner County have been impacted by the program.

“If we’re not providing high speed internet to customers, they’re not going to be customers in the future,” Vap said.

The universal service charge, which funds the program, is collected on both landline and cell phone bills. The funds are then paid out to companies, which apply to the public service commission to do work where it is needed. Vap said there were 100 applicants for this year’s grants. He said most of the companies which apply are rural, independent telephone companies. Once a company applies to put in high speed internet in an area, the commission must approve the work to ensure it is needed.

The companies install either fixed line or mobile high speed internet. Residents can see which services are available in their respective areas by visiting broadband.nebraska.gov or broadbandmap.nebraska.gov.

“There will be areas where it’s not very good, but it’s getting there,” Vap said.

Vap said it is important to the state’s economy to provide high speed voice, video and internet services throughout the state. He said companies look at those services when deciding whether or not to move to an area.

“Without a real robust and ubiquitous internet service in the state, we’re going to be behind,” he said.

The universal service charge also helps make landline phone service affordable in rural areas. Without it, Vap said monthly phone service in Harrison, in Sioux County in the far northwest corner of the state, would cost about $300 per month for a resident. It would also be high in other rural areas, as well, but he said the service charge helps make the service affordable everywhere in the state.

Cell phone usage has skyrocketed as landlines have declined. Vap said the use of landlines has decreased by 5 percent a year over the last half decade.

Vap said the infrastructure must change as technology changes. In the not-too-distant future, he said the 911 emergency service must be equipped to accept texts, video messages, emails and more. He added that the service would have to be internet-based.

He said a recent broadband conference for teenagers in Kearney highlighted the changing ways technology is used. Of the 200 high school students in the room, all of them had a smart phone. However, he said only four of them had ever used the smart phone to make a telephone call.

“We have to adapt to the culture,” he said.