Ongoing Congressional legislation over host of proposed communications and internet laws focuses on small town Internet access and reflects technology’s demanding nature on modern government

Some basic info on small town internet access

From the Massachusetts government Department of Revenue:

No town government should confront the problem of lost data because of hardware failure, individual mistakes, electrical problems, or disasters, whether manmade or natural. Until very recently, backups of essential municipal data might depend on the habits, foresight, or competence of certain local officials. Too often Murphy’s Law intervened, and some towns found themselves re-keying critically important financial records from incomplete salvaged files, at great embarrassment and expense.

On-line backup services became available through a state blanket contract a few years ago that were affordable for even the smallest towns and automatically occurred if the computer was connected with the Internet. Even cheaper, in some cases free, on-line backup is now available from multiple web vendors, with “unattended” automatic backup occurring on a constant basis (as described in a recent New York Times article.)

As small town departments shift official records from bulky ledgers and bound volumes to electronic blips, it is imperative that these blips get saved and stored in multiple safe locations, every day. Time, expense, or technical difficulty used to excuse good intentions gone astray. Changing technology has effectively eliminated these excuses. Auditors now might view ensuring backup of essential data as a simple matter of executive competence or negligence.
Links:

On-line Backup Vendors

• Carbonite
• Mozy
• Mediamax

To work, E-government needs broadband Internet connectivity. Approximately thirty towns west of Worcester County and a smaller number to the east lack either DSL or cable Internet providers. Various initiatives are underway to rectify this situation so that individuals, businesses, and municipal offices in virtually all cities and towns have fast, reliable Internet connections. Full coverage, however, may be two or three years away. Once access is available to all town halls, the next issue is ensuring that key officials have access to a computer hooked into that broadband service. In the smallest towns, that may mean sharing one PC in town hall or doing work at home.

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is sponsoring a number of initiatives to study and implement broadband services, by one means or another, throughout the Commonwealth. Innovative organizations such as Berkshire Connect and Pioneer Valley Connect have brought broadband services to member businesses and organizations in their areas that are underserved by major telecommunication or cable providers. Legislation created and funded a yet-to-be named Wireless and Broadband Development Council to plan and implement universal broadband access throughout the Commonwealth.

The Massachusetts Municipal Association has emphasized broadband development in its state-local partnership document delivered to the incoming administration of Governor Patrick –

Congresswoman Takes A Step Toward Blocking Fast, Cheap Internet