The Telecommunications Division's mission, by working collectively with its ITT group counterparts, is to lead the City in the utilization of existing and emerging voice, video, and data technologies to increase productivity, achieve cost savings, and stimulate or create new sources of revenue for the City. This division is responsible for the development and deployment of technology and telecommunications in the City's delivery of its services to the public as well. The ITT group collaboratively develops the city-wide information technology (IT) architecture that promotes the strategic deployment of systems and information services.

The division also solicits, evaluates, negotiates, and administers the City's telecommunications and cable franchise agreements, towers/wireless providers, and high-capacity telecommunications networks and network services.

The City presently owns and operates 28 Towers with 116 attachments. We also have one attachment on the Jackson State University Water Tank. The City presently owns and manages approximately 113 miles of fiber optic cable. This fiber is used for operation of the city’s wide area high speed network in 12 locations throughout the city. This fiber is also used by the Traffic Divisions’ Intelligent Transportation System for signaling and cameras.

The Telecommunications Division is currently made up of the following three service units:

Telecommunications Services

This unit analyzes telecommunications needs and plans for voice and data telecommunications systems and use. Additional duties include city-wide long distance, paging and cellular telecommunications services, and competitive local telephone service.

Services and platforms sustained through this unit include strategic design, planning, installation, and maintenance of the City's 800 MHz trunked radio system and 450 MHz data radio network. It provides the core technical proficiencies that support the Radio infrastructure backbone of voice, and data applications throughout the City.

Facilities/Physical Plant Services

The unit implements and maintains the transport component of the City's institutional network for its communications users and joint public/private ventures in such areas as data and voice transmission, training, and public information.

The unit's functions include city-wide maintenance of fiber and other city-owned communications infrastructure, telecomm provider and plant environment oversight, and maintenance of the various electronic systems to support all technology-based City operations while providing City departments a wide variety of cost effective communications capabilities.

Franchise Administration and Regulation Services

This unit monitors and directs the regulation and enforcement of cable and telecommunications franchises and permits, which entail monitoring compliance with applicable laws and ordinances, auditing franchise payments, negotiating terms of the franchises, setting policy, and reviewing system operations. The unit's mandate is to ensure protection of consumer interest and to maximize compensation to the City from users of its public ways, including cable operators. The unit assists in the resolution of all concerns and complaints of Jackson citizens regarding Time Warner Cable and other cable operators in the City. The unit further participates in the development of the City's strategic master plan as it relates to cable system and I-Net programming services.



Staff:

Jeff Ferrell
Telecommunications Manager
601 960-1696
E-Mail: jferrell@jacksonms.gov

Joyce Course
Network Specialist
601 960-1696
E-Mail jcourse@jacksonms.gov

Evelyn Hicks
Network Specialist 601 960-1696
E-Mail ehicks@jacksonms.gov

David Pirman
Systems Administrator (Radio Systems)
601 960-1696
E-Mail dpirman@jacksonms.gov

George Brown
Franchise Services Administrator
601-960-1696
E-Mail gbrown@jacksonms.gov

Sid Holston
Facilities/Physical Plant Administrator
601 960-1696
E-Mail sholston@jacksonms.gov
Fax Line: 601 960-1698