LORDSTOWN Council hears plan for Internet

There is no timetable for council to make a decision on Internet service.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- Council is considering a proposal to upgrade and consolidate the village's Internet service.
Time Warner representatives pitched their company's RoadRunner service to council members Monday.
RoadRunner uses cable lines instead of telephone lines to provide Internet access.
The village has seven departments hooked up to the Internet through three providers, explained Councilman D. James London.
"I think this would be a way to bring us into the 21st century," he said of the proposed plan.
Costs
Under the proposed five-year contract with Time Warner, the village would need to initially pay more than $10,000 to install the lines to each of the needed computers and roughly $444 per month for access.
The monthly fee, which would not change under the life of the contract, would be split among the seven departments, said Councilman William Dray.
Benefits to the village, said Time Warner representative Ron Rossi, is that the village could have five fixed computer addresses, which would mean tighter security. It would also eliminate the need for dedicated phone lines for dial-up service, meaning the village could save costs there.
Dray said there is no timetable for council to make a decision, and he would like to see discussions continue.
"I wanted everyone to hear the proposal so we all had the same information at the same time," he said.
slshaulis@vindy.com