§143B-426.10. Purpose of Agency

The North Carolina Agency for Public Telecommunications shall serve as an instrumentality of the State of North Carolina for the accomplishment of the following general purposes:

(1)        To advise the Governor, the Council of State, the principal State departments, the University of North Carolina, the General Assembly and all other State agencies and institutions on all matters of telecommunications policy as may affect the State of North Carolina and its citizens;

(2)        To foster and stimulate the use of telecommunications programming, services and systems for noncommercial educational and cultural purposes by public agencies for the improvement of the performance of governmental services and functions;

(3)        To serve State government, local governments and other public agencies and councils in the following ways:

a.         To provide a clearinghouse of information about innovative projects, programs or demonstrations in telecommunications;

b.         To provide advice on the acquisition, location and operation of telecommunications systems, equipment, and facilities and to provide particularly such advice as may foster compatibility of systems, equipment and facilities and as may reduce or eliminate duplication or mismatching of systems and facilities;

c.         To provide advice on the disposition of excess or unused telecommunications equipment;

d.         To provide information and advice on new telecommunications developments and emerging technologies;

e.         To provide advice on procurement matters on all purchases and contracts for telecommunications systems, programming and services;

f.          To provide information and advice on the most cost-effective means of using telecommunications for management, operations and service delivery;

g.         To provide advice and assistance in the evaluation of alternative media programming so that the most efficient and effective products may be developed and used;

h.         To provide advice and assistance in the identification of various methods of distributing programs and materials;

(4)        To study the utilization of the frequency spectrum and to advise appropriate authorities as to effective frequency management;

(5)        To assist in the development of a State plan or plans for the best development of telecommunications systems, both public and private, to insure that all citizens of North Carolina will enjoy the benefits which such systems may deliver;

(6)        In addition to and not in place of the programs, projects, and services of The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television (or its functional predecessor), to develop and provide media programs and programming materials and services of a noncommercial educational, informational, cultural or scientific nature;

(7)        To undertake innovative projects in interactive telecommunications and teleconferencing whenever such projects might serve to improve services, expand opportunities for citizen participation in government and reduce the costs of delivering a service;

(8)        To serve as a means of acquiring governmental and private funds for use in the development of services through telecommunications;

(9)        To serve as a means of distributing State funds and awarding  grants for any purpose determined to be in furtherance of the purposes of this Part;

(10)      To operate such telecommunications facilities or systems as may fall within the purview of this Part or as may be assigned to the Agency by the Governor, by the General Assembly, or by the Secretary of Administration consistent with the provisions of G.S. 143-340(14);

(11)      To review, assess and report to the Governor on an annual basis on the telecommunications needs and services of State and local government and on the production capabilities and services, the nonproduction services, and the research and development services offered by the Agency and by all other agencies of State government;

(12)      To review, assess and report to the Governor, after a period of not less than two years and not more than three years after the enactment of this Part, on the telecommunications statutes, plans and operations in State government, including those resulting from the enactment of this Part and from revision of statutes pertaining to telecommunications in the Department of Administration;

(13)      To serve as liaison between State government and local governments, regional organizations, the federal government, foundations and other states and nations on common telecommunications concerns;

(14)      To study and evaluate all existing or proposed statutes, rules or regulations at all levels of government touching upon or affecting telecommunications policy, services, systems, programming, rates or funds and to advise the appropriate officials, agencies and councils;

(15)      To acquire, construct, equip, maintain, develop and improve  such facilities as may be necessary to the fulfillment of the purpose of the Part;

(16)      To provide information and advice on any related matter which may be referred to it by any agency or council of State or local government;

(17)      And in general to do and perform any act or function which may tend to be useful toward the development and improvement of telecommunications services within State government and which may increase the delivery of services through telecommunications programs or systems.

The enumeration of the above purposes shall not limit or circumscribe the broad objective of developing to the utmost the possibilities of telecommunications programming, services and systems in the State of North Carolina.

(1979, c. 900, s. 1.)