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2 of the eight PEG access channels currently programmed and simulcast of several of those channels in HD – were identified as community needs and are included in the RFRP. The NSCC RFRP on the I‐Net recognized that Comcast has already been compensated for the six strands of fiber provided in the 1998 franchise for local government and community media use. Comcast passed through to subscribers in the PEG fee itemized on their bills the cost attributed by the company (approximately $567,000) primarily for those six fibers which are embedded in the company’s network. The users of the I‐Net (the cities, schools, libraries and NSCC/NSAC) have provided their own equipment to connect to and manage the network, and city and NSCC/CTV staff oversees and maintains the network. As a result, the cost to Comcast to maintain the I‐Net is very small. However, the benefits to the NSCC/CTV and the member cities, such as substantial cost savings, are significant. Comcast’s proposal to impose new charges for these already paid for networks do not meet the NSCC’s needs or the RFRP. Staff also believes that Comcast is incorrect that the Cable Act only allows the I‐Net to be used for PEG transport services. The current I‐Net is used for both the PEG transport services and a dedicated private communications network for the governmental facilities, and the RFRP requested a continuation of that practice at essentially no cost to the NSCC or its member cities. These I‐Net benefits include, of course, the upstream and downstream transmission of video programming for the seven public and educational channels and the 10 discrete city channels. In addition to programming the four public channels, the I‐Net enables CTV North Suburbs to provide programming and channel management, as well as webstreaming, services for nine of the ten cities and two of the three school districts, saving the cities and the school districts money that would otherwise need to be spent on staff time and the purchase of playback and webstreaming equipment and software. In addition, the cities, schools and Ramsey County use the I‐Net non‐video data applications and services, including a telephone system and Internet access shared among eight of the ten cities and CTV North Suburbs and administrative services, such as financial systems and GIS applications. The Ramsey County Library uses the I‐Net to connect its four branch libraries in Shoreview, Roseville, Mounds View and New Brighton, allowing for the technology consolidation to support their daily operations, as well as high speed and reliable access to collections, applications, programming and the Internet. The collaboration among all of these public institutions not only saves taxpayer dollars, but provides for more efficient and effective local government and community institution operations. The Cable Act has recognized the value to the local community of these private communications networks and has allowed these I‐Nets to be part of the franchise agreement for a cable operator to use the public rights‐of‐ way. It should be pointed out again that the local government users of the I‐Net, including NSCC/NSAC, have paid for nearly all of the equipment and software to “light up” the fibers that they use and for the staff that manage and maintain that equipment and software. Comcast’s