Click here to follow the Knight Center of Digital Excellence on Twitter.
According to a Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project study, "The Mobile Difference," nearly 40 percent Americans have positive and improving attitudes about their mobile communication devices, thereby further immersing themselves into a more robust digital lifestyle.
Read more
We'll find answers to as many of
your questions as possible and
publish answers in a future issue.
Ask Us
How will broadband affect burgeoning controversies over health care? The answers to this question and more came courtesy of a Broadband Cenus-hosted, hour-long panel discussion. View a video of the discussion.
View Now
President Obama on Innovation and Sustainable Growth. President Barack Obama has new plans to strengthen the economy that will all favor people with hi-tech educations.
View Now
Elevate Miami, a comprehensive Digital Inclusion program launched by the city of Miami, aims to serve youth, low-income families, minorities, seniors and residents facing barriers to digital inclusion.
View Now
The Knight Center of Digital Excellence held its first Stimulus Webcast Session for Knight communities and program directors July 23. Watch it online now.
View Now
By pushing hard on broadband, lawmakers hope to close the "digital divide" that has long separated rural America. In doing so, they hope to give rural consumers access to the same sorts of high-speed services and opportunities - think telemedicine, distance-learning and Web-based commerce - that city dwellers have enjoyed for years.
View Now
|
Posts Tagged ‘stimulus’
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
 When we read about a groundbreaking surgical procedure, we picture the surgeon using the scapel, not the hundreds of tests and years of clinical study that guided his incisions. When we watch an exciting football game, we see the elite quarterback dismantling a defense, not the days he spent watching film with a DVD remote in his hand instead of a ball.
We see the success, not the research that drove it.
However, at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we view research a little differently than most. Research data has proven itself to be invaluable to our cause of creating connected communities. Solid research serves as the backbone for any successful broadband initiative and ensures we don’t enter a community “blind.”
And it’s not just about collecting as many statistics and facts as possible. Research also includes making determinations on what to research and how to go about it. As the saying goes, there’s a method to the madness. So, how do we go about it? Knight Center Research Analyst Debra Canale took some time to provide detail on a handful of the many valuable tools in our data-gathering arsenal:
Environmental Scans give us a complete overview of a community even before we step into it. They help to answer:
• Who are the major stakeholders and key entities in the community?
• What is the demographic profile of the community?
• What are the economic/labor issues confronting the community?
• What are the major headlines/issues facing the community?
• What is the history of broadband/wi-fi/digital inclusion/technology, etc. initiatives in the community?
• What is the regulatory environment to promote/hinder broadband initiatives?
• What are the “anchor institutions” and key employers of the community?
• Who are the major stakeholders in the community and what kind of projects do they fund? Has the state issued any grants to fund technology/broadband initiatives?
• How does the community stand regarding the three top Knight Center verticals: Education, health care and e-government?
• How does the community stand regarding the six second-tier verticals: Safety and response, economic development, social services, workforce development, journalism and new media, civic engagement and arts and culture?
Broadband Market Profiles help benchmark current broadband coverage for households and institutional users and help identify market gaps and opportunities. They also help to answer:
• What are the broadband options available in a community (number of vendors, speeds, prices, adoption)?
• What are the disparities in broadband availability within the community (based on income, geographic location, etc.)?
• Who are the potential partners, competitors and customers?
Asset Inventories help us determine existing assets within a community that can be leveraged for a broadband infrastructure project by answering:
• What are the existing physical broadband assets within the community?
• What other community assets can be leveraged for a broadband project?
• Are there any regulations/ordinances that impact broadband deployment?
• Has the community received any funding that can be leveraged for a broadband initiative?
According to Canale, the first pass on these reports is based solely on secondary data from open and subscription data bases and other published sources – with phone calls to government offices, schools, libraries and other institutions thrown in for good measure.
Solid research is key to a successful broadband initiative. The first round of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act broadband stimulus program provided numerous opportunities for Knight Communities to pursue platforms for open dialogue, innovation, thought leadership and high-impact access projects. To ensure communities had the best chance to receive stimulus funding, the Knight Center relied on a five-stage research methodology to prove target areas were unserved/underserved as part of the Broadband Initiative Program and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program application directives.
The point: We place serious emphasis on the efforts of Canale and the entire research team. It not only enhances our efforts in the field, but it helps provide communities with an idea on how to ground their broadband projects with data-driven market realities.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, asset inventories, BIP, broadband, Broadband Initiatives Program, broadband market profile, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BTOP, civic engagement, Debra Canale, digital inclusion, DVD, e-government, education, environmental scan, healthcare, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, journalism, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Knight communities, new media, public safety, research, stimulus, utilities, Wi-Fi
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
 In any national broadband strategy, adoption and use need to play a major role. We’ve seen numerous examples of broadband driving future applications that will enhance lives. Advances in education, health care and economic development are out there, and many Americans are going to need to increase their technological competencies in order to realize the benefits.
While the U.S. Broadband Coalition submitted a report on a national broadband strategy to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Sept. 24, it recently submitted another that offers more detailed policy suggestions.
The Broadband Adoption and Use Working Group, chaired by Charles Benton, of the Benton Foundation; Link Hoewing, of Verizon; Karen Archer Perry, of the Knight Center of Digital Excellence; and Kenneth Peres of Communications Workers of America, collaborated with more than 30 authors representing over 25 different firms to create a new report that was delivered to the FCC Oct. 29 and will be showcased in a public forum at the FCC Hearing Room in Washington D.C. Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. EST.
“Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy,” is a robust document focusing on policy options that promote: inclusion, increased intensity of broadband use, interoperability, integration of broadband and technology into other programs, and expanded innovation. The report’s hundred plus policy ideas address each of these principles directly.
Inclusion
As more functions in our society move online, the cost of digital exclusion continues to escalate. Conversely, the value associated with any given Internet-enabled service increases as more people or devices access that service. This report includes specific recommendations to bridge the digital divide. Its universal design principles seek to bring access to people with disabilities. The benefits of broadband can potentially reach 40 percent of American adults who currently have inadequate or no access.
Intensity of Broadband Use
While broadband appears to be well integrated in some sectors of our nation’s economy, we’re actually in the beginning stages of broadband adoption as a whole. The potential to further leverage broadband technologies across society and the economy creates unparalleled opportunities to grow our economy and enrich lives.
The report covers a number of policy options designed to increase adoption and use in the areas of economic development, health care, public safety, education, energy and sustainability, and democracy and civic engagement.
Interoperability
While broadband developments to-date are founded on the natural interoperability of Internet Protocol (the method by which data is sent from one computer to another), more application-level interoperability is needed to accelerate development across sectors and constituencies such as in health care and public safety. The report points out where policy and standardization can drive additional deployment and create new, more effective use models.
Integration of Broadband into Everything
Broadband technology and Internet-based applications can no longer be managed and funded in “technology silos” of policy and investment. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is integral to social services, education, health care, safety, civic rights and engagement, and all other sectors of the economy. The report recommends ICT investment and policy be incorporated into other federal and state programs such as housing, social services, education, and health care as integral funded and mission-aligned program components.
Investment
Strategic investments such as those made through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act’s broadband stimulus funding, Universal Service Funds and USDA Rural Health programs are critical to filling gaps in the market in terms of access, adoption and applications.
Innovation
The hallmark of the Internet age has been innovation. While change is necessary to broaden and deepen the impact of broadband across the U.S., changes must also preserve and encourage continued innovation at all levels of the economy and market. A number of recent studies have shown the Internet is the new platform for innovation not only in the U.S. but globally. Consider the number of new applications and devices over the past few years.
Could any of us have accurately predicted this exact kind of innovation would take place? Can we accurately predict the future possibilities that exist? Probably not.
But as the Coalition suggests, we can encourage policies that will “focus not on protecting status quo but in continuing to create a fertile environment for U.S.-based innovation, expansion as well as adoption and use.”
Over 30 industry experts from 25 firms contributed to “Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy,” In addition to the report co-chairs, Alcatel-Lucent, Net Literacy, Telcordia, Utilities Telecom Council, PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, OneCommunity and many others contributed to this report.
Each report section includes a statement on the opportunity, barriers and possible policy options to be implemented at the federal, state or local levels of government. While the report reflects a few areas of contention, there is strong overall agreement that increasing the adoption and use of broadband technology and services is good for America and for Americans.
With the Internet celebrating only its 40th birthday and search functions just over 10 years old, this is still a field in the early stages of growth and value. There is much we can do to create greater inclusion in adoption and to drive for greater value across those sectors where broadband is already in use and this report includes a menu of serious options for consideration.
Future events
The “Broadband Adoption and Use: Bridging the Divide and Increasing the Intensity of Broadband Use Across All Sectors of the Economy” report will be publicly released Nov. 13 and will be showcased in live and webcast events at the FCC Headquarters on the same day at 1 p.m. EST. Please check the Knight Center website for more details, go to www.BB4US.net or contact Karen Archer Perry at kperry@knightcenter.org.
Tags: Alcatel-Lucent, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, bandwidth, benton foundation, broadband, Broadband Adoption and Use, Broadband Adoption and Use Working Group, Broadband Expansion, Charles Benton, Communications Workers of America, digital, digital divide, economy, education, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, healthcare, ICT, Information and Communications Technology, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Interoperability, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Karen Archer Perry, Kenneth Peres, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Link Hoewing, national broadband plan, Net Literacy, network, OneCommunity, PC Rebuilders and Recyclers, public safety, rural communities, stimulus, Telcordia, telemedicine, U.S. Broadband Coalition, underserved, Universal Service Funds, USDA Rural Health, utilities, Utilities Telecom Council, Verizon, Washington D.C.
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, broadband, national broadband plan | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Late this afternoon, the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced they are streamlining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) funding to one round instead of two to increase efficiency and better accommodate applicants.
RUS’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) are intended to expand broadband access and adoption in America, advancing the goals of the ARRA by creating jobs and stimulating long-term economic growth and opportunity. The first round of these grants and loan programs produced about 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion. The agencies are currently reviewing these applications and expect to award up to $4 billion in loans, grants and loan/grant combinations in this round beginning in December 2009.
“This will get the funds out the door faster to stimulate the economy and create jobs. It gives applicants and communities a greater opportunity to come together to form networks and find more creative ways to connect to the global economy through broadband,” said Jonathan Adelstein, administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA. “We are listening to applicants, reviewing applications received, and all indications suggest a need to revisit the application process. We will consider changes in the next NOFA [Notice of Funding Availability] to make the process more ‘applicant friendly’ from beginning to end.”
The agencies also announced they are seeking public comment on how best to administer the second round of funding for the programs in order to improve the applicant experience and maximize the ability of the programs to meet ARRA objectives. In a Request for Information (RFI) released today, the agencies are seeking feedback on procedural and policy aspects of BIP and BTOP. While inviting general input on the programs, the agencies identified specific areas for comment.
RUS and NTIA will utilize the feedback received in response to the RFI to set the rules for the second funding round, which the agencies expect to announce through a Notice of Funding Availability early next year.
Tags: Add new tag, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, BIP, broadband, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BTOP, digital, Internet, Jonathan Adelstein, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NOFA, Notice of Funding Availability, NTIA, Request for Information, RFI, Rural Utilities Service, RUS, stimulus, stimulus watch, U.S. Department of Commerce, USDA
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, NTIA, RUS, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Organizations holding their breath in anticipation of hearing whether their first-round broadband stimulus applications were successful might want to take a break – NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling recently said the announcement of broadband bid winners will be delayed by at least “a few more weeks … to get this right.”
Saying he “will not fund a bad application,” Strickling shot down the original agency-imposed award deadline of early November during a Senate Commerce Committee’s Communications Subcommittee oversight hearing on the NTIA/RUS stimulus grant and loan program. RUS administrator Jonathan Adelstein and Mark Goldstein, of the Government Accountability Office, also spoke.
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we feel the delay could be a good move.
A large initial concern was the lack of time states would have to sort through numerous applications, especially given hang-ups in the application process that pushed the due date back. A possible scenario discussed was that states would compensate for the crunch by simply picking their favorite (or most lobbied) programs, or only recommending the state-sponsored applications they knew. There was also the fear that the NTIA and RUS would then take the state recommendations without thorough review since their own volunteer processes weren’t working as smoothly or quickly as originally thought and time was quickly running out on their end as well.
The announcement demonstrates both agencies want their evaluation process to be handled correctly, delayed or not. Again, as Strickling stated, he “will not find a bad application.” To rely on the hurried responses from states, many of which did not have the resources to be as thorough as necessary, may have resulted in funding a number of applications that, in the long run, may not have been the best use of stimulus dollars.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, BIP, broadband, Broadband Expansion, broadband grants, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BTOP, Commerce Committee, Communications Subcommittee, Congress, Government Accountability Office, infrastructure, Internet, Jonathan Adelstein, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Larry Strickling, Mark Goldstein, network, NTIA, RUS, Senate, stimulus, stimulus funding request, stimulus watch
Posted in ARRA, NTIA, RUS, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
When the federal government announced its investment in broadband, the broadband community applauded. Financial assistance would be in place to augment commercial investments in rural areas, provide opportunities for expanded municipal wireless networks and supplement middle-mile fiber builds connecting schools and government buildings.
Buried in the $7.2 billion funding allocation was a relatively miniscule allotment of $250 million for “sustainable broadband adoption,” with $150 million to be dispersed in the first round of funding. Yet, this small Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA) pool drew 328 applications totaling nearly $2.5 billion in “asks” - 10 times the amount of funding available. Why so much interest?
It’s simple. Broadband availability without adoption, use and innovative product and service development is like one-hand clapping - not much of a sound and very little real connection. The pool of 328 applications to the SBA fund indicates a huge pent-up demand, a desire to create change and the know-how to promote broadband adoption.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized as much in a recent report, saying the “Internet creates value only if applications are adopted by consumers; greater adoption yields greater value.”
The challenge becomes one of holding out a vision that Americans can embrace - one they can see and understand how their individual lives can benefit from broadband. As the FCC has outlined, broadband provides:
- Individuals a platform for education and training, wherever one lives, whatever one’s circumstances;
- Businesses a platform for innovation, greater cost efficiency and access to world markets; and
- Governments a platform that improves efficiency and responsiveness,
One stimulus application designed to connect broadband networks with quality of life in communities is the Connect Your Community (CYC) proposal from the Knight Center of Digital Excellence. The plan is to engage, train, equip and support communities across the county to develop and test training tools, in-depth tracking and analysis. But CYC is just one of the many proposals vying for the tiny pool of SBA funds.
Given the great demand and very limited funding for broadband adoption initiatives, we risk developing broadband networks that may result in under-usage. This is due to many Americans not understanding the benefits of new high-speed, high-capacity communications and how to participate in them fully. Part of the federal government’s job in considering applications is to weigh priorities. We hope this basic first step - of getting Americans up to speed with the what the ramifications of these new high-speed Internet highways can be - will get the attention it deserves.
America applauds the building of broadband networks, because we see the vision of a better life as a result. Our national investment in broadband will take on new relevance and excitement in communities across our nation.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, broadband availability, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, community, Connect Your Community, CYC, digital, economy, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Middle Mile, network, stimulus, stimulus watch, sustainable broadband adoption
Posted in Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
During the COMPTEL PLUS Convention and Expo this week, Angela Simpson, advisor to the assistant secretary for National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), shared that the NTIA is “on track” to announce the first round of funding in November.
Simpson also shared that 18 applications have moved to the second step of the vetting process and those proposals would concentrate on critical last-mile, remote projects. However, the decisions about who gets funding will ultimately be made by NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling.
Yet, even though NTIA appears almost done with the first round of awards, there’s more work ahead for the agency and the government overall.
NTIA officials must decide whether to hold one or two more sets of broadband stimulus funding. Although Simpson could not confirm how many rounds remain, she said chances are good the NTIA will hold just one more.
If the second and third rounds are merged, it’s likely applicants will have more time to submit proposals, unlike the first round. Simpson did say the process would be streamlined.
“We’re trying to avoid the capacity problems of last time,” she said.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, Angela Simpson, broadband, Broadband Expansion, broadband stimulus funding, COMPTEL PLUS Convention and Expo, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Larry Strickling, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, NTIA, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
During the recent 2009 FTTH Council Conference & Expo, Rural Utility Service (RUS) Deputy Administrator Jessica Zufolo ended rampant speculation by confirming the RUS and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are strongly leaning towards merging the scheduled second and third rounds of broadband stimulus funding. Zufolo said the second round Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) would be issued in December, with funding to be doled out in summer 2010. In addition, the agencies will issue a request for information asking the public to provide some guidance on how to construct the next NOFA.
Saying the RUS is “painfully aware” of the numerous problems that plagued the first-round application process, Zufolo stated, “Everything is on the table for round two, and we want as much feedback as possible on how to expand the applicant pool to include more rural areas that are unserved by broadband.”
With this critical piece of information finally confirmed by an RUS administrator, it’s time to start thinking what the news means for potential second-round applicants.
On one hand, those who didn’t submit proposals in round one, weren’t successful and are contemplating another effort, or were going to wait for the third round to apply are now forced to “go for broke.”
On the other hand, taking more time with a single, second process could facilitate broader, more creative proposals that lead to better, more impactful projects.
The Knight Center of Digital Excellence sees the compressed timeline almost forcing the RUS and NTIA to combine the rounds if they truly want this to be a “stimulus” project. If they kept the third round for next year, as originally scheduled, they might have lost the “stimulating” of the economy effect. (According to an earlier schedule, all BTOP funds should have been awarded Sept. 30, and the round two BTOP Request for Information should be released this fall.)
But if Zufolo’s comments at the expo are any indication, it seems both agencies are committed to taking the necessary time to ensure the application process is run in a more efficient and effective manner. Her statements also show public input will play a role in how everything shapes up.
Tags: 2009 FTTH Council Conference & Expo, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, BIP, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BTOP, infrastructure, Internet, Jessica Zufolo, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NOFA, Notice of Funding Availability, NTIA, Rural Utilities Service, RUS, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in ARRA, NTIA, RUS, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
 By Doug Adams, Knight Center of Digital Excellence
Our nation’s broadband economic stimulus plan – part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act – is placing a bet that our economy will improve with the expansion of high-speed Internet.
Of course, there are the jobs created just through basic construction, such as the building of broadband networks including fiber and towers. This is no different from jobs created through construction of a building. But if a region builds an office building with no use – with hardly any potential tenants – the economic impact will be short-lived and limited to the building project itself.
So what will we do with all of this broadband once we have it? The promise of broadband is much more significant than opportunities a new office park might provide. Faster and more pervasive Internet service provides a platform for innovation, research and development for all citizens – bringing with it new products, services and most importantly, revenue streams.
What kinds of products and services? Well without broadband, there would have been no impetus for the iPod, Kindle and digital cameras – and no explosive growth in the electronics market. Without broadband, there would be no way to communicate with your doctor over Internet-enabled video conferencing, potentially leaving health care costs to skyrocket even more than they already have. And without broadband, there would be no way to watch your favorite shows from anywhere on your laptop or smart phone – and along with that, there would be no growth in online advertising revenues.
To understand the economic benefit of massive broadband expansion, you need to appreciate the benefits known and unknown, seen and unseen. Early in the decade, as broadband became more common, there was no way to predict the economic impact each development would have. We wanted faster access to Web pages. The iPod and Kindle weren’t even ideas yet.
Beyond platitudes or the hypothetical, what proof do we have that broadband actually has a significant impact on our economy?
In a 2006 study funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University concluded that broadband access “does enhance economic growth and performance, and that the assumed economic impacts are real and measurable.” Looking at a cross-section of communities across the nation, the study found that between 1998 and 2002, communities that had mass-market broadband experienced more rapid growth in employment and in the number of businesses, especially in technology-intensive sectors, compared to communities without broadband.
Another study titled, “Broadband and Economic Development: A Municipal Case Study from Florida,” by the consulting firm Applied Economic Studies, found that as a result of municipal investment in broadband networks in the early half of this decade, Lake County, Fla., experienced roughly 100 percent greater growth in economic activity than other comparable counties in Florida by a combination of indicators.
And finally, earlier this summer a report from the World Bank Group found developing countries saw an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points for every 10 percentage-point increase in broadband.
Beyond the economic benefits derived from building a platform for innovation, broadband impacts productivity – making us more effective, freeing up our creative energies and allowing us to focus on the next big idea. Broadband shrinks our world and enables telecommuting for collaborative projects across the country or across the globe, making tomorrow’s iPod or Kindle a reality faster – and with it, infusing capital into our markets.
So unlike the construction of an empty building, one we hope to fill with tenants, the investment in broadband construction is sure to fill our nation with hope and change, in the form of innovation and opportunities, as we were promised last November.
Also read “It’s ‘patent-ly’ obvious: U.S. needs better broadband.”
Doug Adams oversees public information efforts for the Knight Center of Digital Excellence based in Akron, Ohio. The center is operated by Cleveland-based technology nonprofit OneCommunity, in partnership with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and is dedicated to creating connected communities through strategies that utilize information technologies to drive civic progress and economic development. To learn more about the Knight Center, go to www.knightcenter.org or e-mail info@knightcenter.org.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Carnegie Mellon University, community, digital, digital camera, Doug Adams, economy, education, Florida, high-speed, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, iPod, Kindle, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Lake County, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, network, smart phone, stimulus, stimulus watch, U.S. Department of Commerce, World Bank Group
Posted in ARRA, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Opinion, Stimulus Package, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
The spigot is officially on. Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the first four stimulus grants for broadband deployment in four states. The initial projects will be in California, Indiana, North Carolina and Vermont, and are aimed at increasing broadband access and adoption through improved data collection and planning.
Federal officials are continuing to review applications from all remaining 46 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.
Here’s a synopsis of the first four projects:
• California will receive $1.8 million; North Carolina, $1.6 million; Indiana, $1.3 million; and Vermont, $1.2 million, to collect data and verify the availability, speed and location of broadband across those states. The projects are to extend from now through 2011, with initial data to become available next month.
• California will also receive an additional $500,000 for broadband planning over four years. An additional $435,000 will also go to North Carolina for broadband planning over five years.
In a press release, the NTIA offered clues as to the degree of thoroughness it expects in successful applications. Specifically, the four winning applications contained the following:
• Plans for data collection from multiple sources. All four recipients will collect data from broadband providers – but each plans to delve further by tapping other sources of information as well. For example, there will be speed tests as well as online and field surveys. Recipients also plan to use third party existing data (developed for other purposes) to assist their mapping efforts.
• Plans for multiple verification methods. Once again, recipients will seek independent information on speeds and locations of broadband.
• Collaboration: Each state demonstrated commitment to build partnerships to achieve desired results with the greatest efficiency possible.
The comments from federal officials echo our thoughts at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence: The best projects are meticulously planned, draw on well-documented information from as many sources as possible and bring government and civic-minded organizations together in partnerships.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, bandwidth, BIP, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Initiatives Program, broadband mapping, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BTOP, California, collaboration, Indiana, infrastructure, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, network, North Carolina, NTIA, stimulus, stimulus watch, Vermont
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s vision for broadband Internet is simple: He wants to see world-class networks in every community.
That vision is moving closer to reality with the launch of the state’s pioneering public/private partnership between state and local governments, Norlight Telecommunications, Motorola and Royell Communications to bring high-speed, affordable broadband Internet service to rural Macoupin and Montgomery counties. Norlight will supply the infrastructure, Motorola the equipment and Royell the retail service. Wholesale service to existing Internet providers will also be available. Service is expected to be available in 2010.
Quinn said the pilot partnership, part of the Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative, would ensure high-speed broadband Internet is offered in the two counties – even though they lack a large concentration of customers. The idea is that affordable broadband service will allow Macoupin and Montgomery counties to attract new kinds of capital to the region and stimulate economic development.
“The future of Illinois depends on our ability to use the latest in technology,” Quinn said during a recent speech announcing the partnership, “and I am proud to say the people of Macoupin and Montgomery counties will not be left offline. Everybody in, nobody left out – that’s my philosophy.”
As chairman of the Illinois Broadband Deployment Council, Quinn is hoping the Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative project partnership represents the first of many more to come, especially as the state has been very active in planning for a broadband future. For example, the “Illinois Jobs NOW!” public works program includes $50 million for broadband deployment, while the state government has committed an additional $40 million to help fund 16 other broadband-based projects. (According to broadband.Illinois.gov, the $40 million in state-committed funding is conditioned on how much American Recovery & Reinvestment Act first-round broadband stimulus funding is obtained.)
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we encourage our communities to seek new and innovative ways to ensure broadband Internet is provided to all citizens and utilized properly to maximize its benefits. Public/private partnerships are often the cornerstone to a successful community broadband initiative.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, community, digital, digital divide, economy, high-speed, Illinois, Illinois Broadband Deployment Council, Illinois Jobs NOW!, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Macoupin County, Montgomery County, Motorola, network, Norlight Telecommunications, ommunity broadband initiative, Pat Quinn, Public/private partnerships, Royell Communications, rural communities, stimulus, underserved, Vince Demuzio Broadband Initiative
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, broadband | No Comments »
|
|
