From the Capitol today

The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology met to discuss the 636 miles of fiberoptic cable owned by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Officials with the department were questioned as to whether other state agencies, school districts and universities could use the technology. The short answer is perhaps, but there's likely a mile of red tape to make it happen. The AHTD has signed contracts with six telecommunications firms for the cable, and an attorney with the department suggests that allowing other agencies to use the lines could be viewed as an attempt to compete with private industry. Here's the Associated Press article.