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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 RFRPonthe I-0et recognized that Comcast has already been compensated for the six strands offiber provided inthe 1990franchise for local government and community media use. Comcast passed through tosubscribers inthe PEG fee itemized mntheir bills the cost attributed by the company (approximately $567,000) primar.ily for those six fibers which are embedded inthe company's network. The users ofthe |Net(the cities, schools, libraries and NSCC/NSAC) have provided their own equipment to connect to and manage the network, and city and NS[C/CTVstaff oversees and maintains the network. Asaresult, the cost to Comcast tomaintain the |-0etisvery small. However, the benefits 10the NSCC/CTVand the member cities, such assubstantial cost savings, are significant. Corncast'sproposal toimpose 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 e\|ovvs the |-Netto be used for PEG transport services. The current |-Netisused for both the PEG transport services and dedicated private communications network for the governmental facilities, and the RFRP requested acontinuation ofthat practice at essentially nocost tothe NSCCorits member These I -Net benefits include, of course, the upstream and downstream transmission of video programming for the seven public and educational channels and the 10discrete city channels. |naddition toprogramming the four public channels, the I -Net enables [TVNorth Suburbs 10provide programming and channel management, eswell asvvebstrearning, services for nine Vfthe ten cities and two ofthe 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 vvebstneanmingequipment and software. |naddition, the cities, schools and Ramsey County use the I-Netnon-video data applications and services, including atelephone 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 |-Nettoconnect 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 ofthese public institutions not only saves taxpayer dollars, but provides for more efficient and effective local government and community institution operations. The Cable Act hes recognized the value to the local community of these private communications networks and has allowed these |-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, includi ' ng 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. Conncast's