§ 143B-426.10. Purpose of Agency. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 143B‑426.10. Purpose of Agency.

The North Carolina Agency for Public Telecommunications shall serve asan instrumentality of the State of North Carolina for the accomplishment of thefollowing general purposes:

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

(2)        To foster and stimulate the use of telecommunicationsprogramming, services and systems for noncommercial educational and culturalpurposes by public agencies for the improvement of the performance ofgovernmental services and functions;

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

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

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

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

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

e.         To provide advice on procurement matters on all purchasesand 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 andservice delivery;

g.         To provide advice and assistance in the evaluation ofalternative media programming so that the most efficient and effective productsmay be developed and used;

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

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

(5)        To assist in the development of a State plan or plans forthe best development of telecommunications systems, both public and private, toinsure that all citizens of North Carolina will enjoy the benefits which suchsystems 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 andprogramming materials and services of a noncommercial educational,informational, cultural or scientific nature;

(7)        To undertake innovative projects in interactivetelecommunications and teleconferencing whenever such projects might serve toimprove services, expand opportunities for citizen participation in governmentand reduce the costs of delivering a service;

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

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

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

(11)      To review, assess and report to the Governor on an annualbasis on the telecommunications needs and services of State and localgovernment and on the production capabilities and services, the nonproductionservices, and the research and development services offered by the Agency andby all other agencies of State government;

(12)      To review, assess and report to the Governor, after a periodof not less than two years and not more than three years after the enactment ofthis Part, on the telecommunications statutes, plans and operations in Stategovernment, including those resulting from the enactment of this Part and fromrevision of statutes pertaining to telecommunications in the Department ofAdministration;

(13)      To serve as liaison between State government and localgovernments, regional organizations, the federal government, foundations andother 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 affectingtelecommunications policy, services, systems, programming, rates or funds andto 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 thePart;

(16)      To provide information and advice on any related matter whichmay 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 maytend to be useful toward the development and improvement of telecommunicationsservices within State government and which may increase the delivery ofservices through telecommunications programs or systems.

The enumeration of the above purposes shall not limit or circumscribethe broad objective of developing to the utmost the possibilities oftelecommunications programming, services and systems in the State of NorthCarolina. (1979, c. 900, s.1.)