The Telecommunications Division is responsible for managing the municipal area network of the City, as well as the community's hybrid fiber-coaxial telecommunications network, Ashland Fiber Network (AFN).  AFN is a high-speed network that connects governmental, municipal, educational, health care institutions, residents, and businesses.  AFN works with local businesses to provide services in the following categories:

1. Internet Connectivity
2. Cable Television
3. Telephony
4. IT Support
5. Technology Solutions and Hosting

The Division's goals for the fiscal year are as follows:

• AFN Strategic Business Plan—Continue execution to meet the plan’s defined goals and performance metrics.  Prepare for 2012 decision on the long-term future of AFN.
• System Planning—Update the AFN System Plan for cable/fiber technical direction and implementation projects.  Complete an alternatives analysis of options and costs for the City’s obsolete telephony system.
• Emergency Notification System—Complete procurement to implement an emergency notification system for Ashland residents and businesses integrating alerts via telephone, email, and cellular phone messaging.
• Public Safety Communications—Support upgrades of City radios to digital-standard units mandated by the Federal government for use by 2012.  Complete redesign of the City’s telecommunications paths and contracts to support interaction with Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon.
• Utility Computing—Implement a virtualized server environment to manage the City’s growing needs for processing, memory, and data storage.  This initiative will reduce long-term costs, improve cross-department access to data stores and geospatial information, and supports software projects for Utility Billing, email system upgrades and transition to the City IT Program Architecture.
• City Hall Improvements—Upgrade telecommunications equipment and facilities at to provide more reliable lines with higher speed capacity.
• Public Utilities Compliance—Resolve any AFN telecommunications line issues for the Morton and 99 feeders per AFN’s inspection plan.  Complete PUC reports and filings as required.
• Facilities Updates—Work with Facilities Division to update heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and install fire suppression to support the City’s critical data center/head-end operations. 

For more information click AFN Services.