From the American Farm Bureau Federation's FB News:

By Sabrina Matteson

Broadband Internet access unlocks doors that might otherwise be closed for job opportunities, telecommuting, education, entertainment, commerce, government services, communications, medicine and health, and social and community networking.

Connect Ohio, a subsidiary of the national non-profit Connected Nation, had an eCommunity Strategies (eCS) meeting in Urbana, Ohio, in early June to showcase its grassroots approach to deploying broadband in rural areas. Community leaders from agriculture, business and industry, government, community-based organizations, recreation and tourism, health care and education gathered to create a comprehensive picture of the community in terms of broad and deployment.

Read More from FB News.

From an ESRI press release:

Four States Inaugurate Maps Showing Detailed Broadband Coverage

Redlands, California—The states of Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, and South Carolina are now providing easy-to-use maps that show in detail each state's broadband coverage. The interactive, online maps are made possible by BroadbandStat, an application based on ESRI geographic information system (GIS) technology, and will help the states plan and improve high-speed Internet access for their residents and businesses.

The BroadbandStat maps were funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and contribute to the comprehensive national broadband map that NTIA is required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create and make publicly available by February 2011.

"A complete, interactive broadband map is now available for customers, Internet service providers, and policy makers," said Orjiakor Isiogu, chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), about the new map hosted on the Connect Michigan Web site. "This is an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed Internet service."

Interactive tools include the ability to identify the population density and unserved households in a selected area, link to news about broadband-related projects, and create reports and charts.

MPSC received a $1.8 million NTIA grant to launch its broadband mapping and planning initiative. Over the next 18 months, Michigan's initial BroadbandStat map will be updated and refined as additional data becomes available. Connect Michigan, Connect Minnesota, Connect Nevada, and Connect South Carolina are the entities tasked with collecting the data and producing their states' online maps. All are affiliated with the nonprofit Connected Nation organization, which partnered with ESRI to create BroadbandStat.

Connect Nevada was awarded $1.4 million in stimulus funds through the NTIA for broadband mapping and planning. Nevada's broadband map includes data collected on the availability, speed, location, and type of broadband services from more than 35 state broadband service providers.

During the inauguration of his state's BroadbandStat map, Nevada governor Jim Gibbons said, "Nevadans will now have a map that not only puts information about available broadband services at their fingertips but also defines where the state and the private sector need to focus their attention to bring high-speed Internet to every part of our state."

Connect Minnesota and Connect South Carolina worked with their state broadband service providers to accurately pinpoint remaining gaps in broadband availability across the state. They also collected data from community anchor institutions such as schools, universities, libraries, hospitals, and public safety facilities, which are potential sites for providing community access to broadband services.

For links to each state's interactive maps and more information on BroadbandStat, visit www.esri.com/bbstat.

Press Release link

By Bill Miller/Battle Creek Enquirer's Crossroads blog

A state group today released detailed maps showing broadband availability (and lack of it) around Michigan. And folks, Calhoun County ain’t too speedy. Take a look at this section of one of the maps released by the group, Connect Michigan.

The gray areas have broadband. Areas in colors are unserved — the lighter the color, the fewer unserved homes; the darker, the more unserved.

It’s not the best display — some is obscured by city and village names. But you can get the idea when big swaths of Calhoun County are all lit up with colors. Understandably, the greater Battle Creek area is not; neither is Marshall and some of the southern and eastern edges of the county.

But compare to Kalamazoo, that’s mostly gray, and Jackson, that seems to be ALL gray except for around Springport. Even Branch County is mostly gray, and Hillsdale County! What’s going on? How many of our visitors are on dial-up???

I’ve been told our metro staff will look into this for a story next week. I hope so.

Meanwhile, you can look it all over for yourself. And please, let me know what you think about broadband in Calhoun County. Just click on the “Comment” button at the end of this blog. It’s easy and quick. I will need to approve your first comment, but after that your comments will show up instantly.

Here’s the release we got today:

Lansing, MI –The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) announced yesterday the completion of the first round of broadband maps aimed at promoting technology development and increasing high-speed Internet throughout the state. The maps which are now accessible online at www.connectmi.org http://www.connectmi.org/> are a product of the Connect Michigan broadband initiative, a public-private partnership between the MPSC and Connected Nation, a national nonprofit focused on technology expansion in underserved areas.

“Today marks an important day in Michigan: a complete, interactive broadband map is now available for customers, Internet service providers, and policymakers,” said Orjiakor Isiogu, chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission. “This is an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed Internet service.”

Connect Michigan has been able to gather and verify state-specific data on the availability, speed, location, and type of broadband services as well as the adoption and availability of broadband at community anchor institutions across the state. The meeting of this milestone is a result of a several-month long process of aggressive outreach to providers and community anchor institutions across the state, and extensive verification and validation of the data collected from these entities.

These initial maps include data from 86 state providers, and key findings include:

• 95.41% of Michigan households have access to broadband service of at least 768 kbps downstream (excluding mobile and satellite service).
• 4.59% of Michigan households are unserved, representing approximately 174,000 unserved households.

A public demonstration of the program’s new interactive mapping feature, BroadbandStat, http://connectmi.org/mapping/interactive_map.php> was held via webinar to encourage citizen feedback and to demonstrate the broadband expansion scenario building that can be achieved using the tool.

Connected Nation’s GIS team will continuously refine the maps as more data is gathered – relying upon citizen feedback as part of the validation process. Residents, businesses, and any interested party with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to Connect Michigan’s website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps.

On Connectmi.org, those who do not currently have broadband access can add their name and address to a secure database of households that would like to subscribe if given the opportunity. The collected information supports the creation of the broadband inventory map that will assist in expanding broadband delivery to residents across the state.

“We are excited to offer this interactive app to the citizens of Michigan. With this new website, citizens can play an active role in the validation of the data and more importantly, use it as a resource to search provider options and draw attention to the areas that remain unserved,” explains Brian Mefford, CEO of Connect Michigan’s parent organization, Connected Nation. “The goal of our nonprofit organization is to expand broadband access to areas where it doesn’t exist and improve the quality of service in areas that are already served. Michigan’s newly completed map is the first major step in this process.”

As the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state of Michigan, Connect Michigan is a public-private partnership uniting local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband service in the state’s unserved and underserved areas.

In December 2009, Connect Michigan was awarded $1.8 million in Recovery Act funding in an effort to increase the availability and use of high-speed Internet service in the state. The funding enables the state to collect data to develop and maintain a detailed map of existing broadband service over two years and conduct planning efforts for a period of five years.

These efforts are in compliance with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the State Broadband Data and Development grant program (SBDD). Ultimately, these data will populate the comprehensive, interactive, and searchable national broadband map that NTIA is required by the Recovery Act to create and make publicly available by February 17, 2011.

Link to full story

MetroModeMedia.com

Where's the broadband? Oh. There it is. Michigan has put together a map, and it's interactive, of where the broadband is. The benefit of something like this is to locate where broadband isn't, and then put it there.

Excerpt from Great Lakes IT Report:

The Michigan Public Service Commission Thursday announced the completion of Michigan's first broadband availability map aimed at promoting technology development and increasing high-speed Internet throughout the state.

The maps, which are now accessible online at http://connectmi.org/, are a product of the Connect Michigan broadband initiative, a public-private partnership between the MPSC and Connected Nation, a national non-profit focused on technology expansion in underserved areas.

"Today marks an important day in Michigan," said MPSC chairman Orjiakor Isiogu. "A complete, interactive broadband map is now available for customers, Internet service providers, and policymakers. This is an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed Internet service."

Read the entire article here.

Link to MetroModeMedia.com story

From Broadband For America's blog:

Connected Nation announced a multi-state launch of a new interactive broadband mapping application in Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and South Carolina. The maps, which are now accessible through the Connect Michigan www.connectmi.org; Connect Minnesota www.connectmn.org; Connect Nevada www.connectnv; and Connect South Carolina www.connectsc.org websites give local residents a place to find providers at their address, check their current Internet speeds, request broadband service in their area and provide feedback on the initiatives.

A public demonstration of the program’s mapping feature, BroadbandStat, was recently held via a series of webinars to encourage citizen feedback and to demonstrate the broadband expansion scenario building that can be achieved by using the tool.

The maps, which depict broadband services currently available down to the street level, will be updated on a routine basis to reflect “real-time” broadband availability so that policy makers, Internet providers, and the general public can use the maps to make informed decisions about broadband investment and expansion.

Connected Nation will continuously refine the maps as more data is gathered—relying upon citizen feedback as part of the validation process. Residents, businesses, and any interested parties with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to their respective initiative state website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps.

Link to story

Michigan Radio Network

An interactive map showing broadband coverage serving more than 95 percent of people in Michigan is now available online. The maps are a product of the connect Michigan Broadband initiative, a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and connected nation, a national nonprofit focused on technology expansion in underserved areas.

They are accessible at http://www.connectmi.org/.

The PSC calls it an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed internet service. The households un-served by broadband consist of large portions of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan on the map. Connect Michigan officials say that mobile coverage in the state is around 99 percent, which could make up for some that.

By Olivia Pulsinelli/MLive.com

In an effort to expand broadband Internet access throughout Michigan, a public-private partnership this week released the first broadband coverage maps.

The maps were created by the Connect Michigan initiative, a partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and the national nonprofit Connected Nation.

“This is an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed Internet service,” MPSC Chairman Orjiakor Isiogu said in a statement.

Data collected included the availability, speed, location and type of broadband services, “as well as the adoption and availability of broadband at community anchor institutions” across Michigan, according to the statement.

The maps show that 95.41 percent of Michigan households have access to broadband service.

The remaining 4.59 percent represents approximately 174,000 unserved households.

Connect Michigan plans to update the maps on a continual basis.

“Residents, businesses and any interested party with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to Connect Michigan’s website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps,” according to the statement.

A database of households interested in subscribing to broadband service if and when it becomes available will be compiled from those who submit their names and addresses on connectmi.org.

“We are excited to offer this interactive app to the citizens of Michigan,” Connected Nation CEO Brian Mefford said in the statement. “With this new website, citizens can play an active role in the validation of the data and more importantly, use it as a resource to search provider options and draw attention to the areas that remain unserved.”

Connect Michigan’s map data will also contribute to the national broadband mapping effort.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act requires the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Adminstration to create an interactive and searchable national broadband map and make it publicly available by Feb. 17, 2011.

Link to story

Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report/WWJ Radio

The Michigan Public Service Commission Thursday announced the completion of Michigan’s first broadband availability map aimed at promoting technology development and increasing high-speed Internet throughout the state.

The maps, which are now accessible online at http://connectmi.org, are a product of the Connect Michigan broadband initiative, a public-private partnership between the MPSC and Connected Nation, a national non-profit focused on technology expansion in underserved areas.

“Today marks an important day in Michigan," said MPSC chairman Orjiakor Isiogu. "A complete, interactive broadband map is now available for customers, Internet service providers, and policymakers. This is an important first step as the state seeks to target resources to those areas of the state without high-speed Internet service.”

The map is the most comprehensive to be released by the MPSC, detailing where broadband does and does not exist across Michigan. Connect Michigan has been able to gather and verify state-specific data on the availability, speed, location, and type of broadband services as well as the adoption and availability of broadband at community anchor institutions across the state.
The meeting of this milestone is a result of a several-month long process of aggressive outreach to providers and community anchor institutions across the state, and extensive verification and validation of the data collected from these entities.

These initial maps include data from more than 86 state providers. The key findings show that 95.41 percent of Michigan households have access to broadband service of at least 768 kbps downstream (excluding mobile and satellite service). Some 4.59 percent of Michigan households are unserved, or about 174,000 unserved households, of which 165,128 are rural.

The MPSC and Connect Michigan demonstrated the mapping application Thursday in a public Webinar. Called BroadbandStat, the new tool allows consumers to easily search for high-speed Internet service providers at their home address, service providers to make informed expansion decisions, and state and federal policymakers to target resources to unserved and underserved communities.

On connectmi.org, those who do not currently have broadband access can add their name and address to a secure database of households that would like to subscribe, if given the opportunity. The collected information supports the creation of the broadband inventory map that will assist in expanding broadband delivery to residents across the state.

As the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state of Michigan, Connect Michigan is a public-private partnership uniting local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband service in the state’s unserved and underserved areas.

In December 2009, Connect Michigan was awarded $1.8 million in federal stimulus funding in an effort to increase the availability and use of high-speed Internet service in the state. The funding enables the state to collect data and develop and maintain a detailed map of existing broadband service over two years and conduct planning efforts for a period of five years.

These efforts are in compliance with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Notice of Funding Availability for the State Broadband Data and Development grant program. Ultimately, these data will populate the comprehensive, interactive, and searchable national broadband map that NTIA is required by the Recovery Act to create and make publicly available by Feb. 17, 2011.

Connect Michigan is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a non-profit in the state of Michigan. The MPSC is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout Michigan. Connect Michigan was commissioned by the Governor’s Office to work with all broadband providers in the state of Michigan to create detailed maps of broadband coverage in order to accurately pinpoint remaining gaps in broadband availability in Michigan.

Link for full article

April 5, 2010

By Carl Gipson, director for small business, technology and telecommunications at the Washington Policy Center
The Hill’s Congress Blog

With our nation’s unemployment rate stuck stubbornly near the double-digit mark, policymakers nationwide continue to look for ways to spur economic growth in the private sector – preferably without deepening the federal deficit. One area where federal and state officials agree is that of expanding broadband Internet to underserved and unserved areas, which was a large part of the National Broadband Plan presented by the Federal Communications Commission to Congress on March 16th. It is widely understood that boosting the nation’s broadband infrastructure would bring untold economic and social benefits.

The Plan acts as a blueprint for the general direction the federal government will take in aiding future broadband expansion efforts from both the private and public sectors.

The economic and social importance of the Internet and expanding broadband over the last decade reaches into the trillions of dollars. Therefore the FCC must tread carefully or risk curtailing an industry that has transformed not only American society, but the entire global marketplace.


FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently assessed correctly the overwhelming potential of broadband when he said that, “global leadership in high-speed Internet [will] create jobs and economic growth to unleash new waves of innovation and investment and will improve education, health care, energy efficiency, public safety and [improve] the vibrancy of our economy.”


But the devil is in the details. Parts of the National Broadband Plan hint of significant new regulations to be imposed on Internet Service Providers (ISP). Last fall the FCC launched a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), a spin off to the National Broadband Plan, to look at new “Open Internet” regulations known as “Net Neutrality” rules.


New regulations, like Net Neutrality, would remove the ability of ISPs to effectively manage their network – something they have already been doing since the advent of the World Wide Web. It is also important to note the rapid spread of the Internet has happened under the current regulatory environment. So why is the FCC considering new regulations that would “fix” something that is not actually broken?


The danger isn’t whether innovation and ingenuity will continue to spring forth from millions of global technology entrepreneurs but rather, will innovation continue to flourish if the FCC’s Open Internet proceedings result in regulations that place control of this technical marvel in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians? If so, this would have an obvious adverse effect on our nation’s entrepreneurs, small businesses and curtail future job growth.


Chairman Genachowski also stated that, “Broadband allows small business to think big and grow big. With a high-speed Internet connection and the emergence of cloud computing, every small business can have access to a world-class IT system and a national, indeed, global marketplace.”


It is therefore imperative that the FCC focus on ensuring that we have a system that encourages entrepreneurship, risk-taking and innovation. The economic benefits are clear. Connected Nation estimates $134 billion in direct economic benefits with increased broadband adoption nationwide.


Likewise, a recent study by MIT and Brookings Institute researchers found that a one-digit increase in broadband penetration creates an additional 300,000 jobs.


Increased government regulation, particularly in the fast-moving field of high-tech and broadband communications will erode the investment demand that is required to keep up with America’s insatiable thirst for Internet connectivity. In 2009 cable companies alone spent $14.4 billion in infrastructure expansion and wireless companies spent twice that in capital improvements. New capital and infrastructure spending would mean jobs for hundreds of thousands of Americans.


As the FCC and Congress discuss the proposals in the National Broadband Plan, they must recognize both the potential benefit and danger that the plan could have on an industry that has seen exponential growth over the last decade and is poised to see even more in the coming years.


The proper role of the FCC should be to focus on providing a regulatory environment that will encourage entrepreneurs and innovators to chase after myriad investment opportunities provided by risk-taking investors, who see broadband Internet and ubiquitous connectivity as a potent field for growth and profit. The jobs will come from the businesses that are not held back by excessive government regulation and bureaucracy.

Read more at the Hill's Congress blog about the economic impact of the FCC's broadband plan

March 29, 2010

By Jenna Mink
The Daily News (Bowling Green, KY)

Stimulus money will put computers in low-income homes across the nation

As the federal government promotes high-speed Internet, a Bowling Green organization is part of a nationwide group that’s trying to improve broadband access.

Connected Nation, a public-private organization that started in Bowling Green, and about 20 other organizations are teaming up to bring high-speed Internet to low-income households throughout the country.

The partnership was formed after the Federal Communications Commission recently delivered its National Broadband Plan to Congress, calling for at least 90 percent of U.S. homes to have broadband by 2020 - more than 60 percent of households currently have high-speed Internet, according to a news release.

Connected Nation, which now works in 30 states and Puerto Rico, targets areas that lack high-speed Internet service and tries to bring access to those regions. The biggest barriers to broadband access are costs and education about the benefits of high-speed Internet, said Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation.

Now, businesses such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable and AT&T, are making that mission easier by discounting monthly subscription costs and donating used modems. Other companies, such as Microsoft and Dell, are providing computer discounts.

Connected Nation will provide technology training to residents in those areas. Workers also educate people about the advantages of high-speed Internet, Mefford said.

Broadband helps people financially, by allowing them to file taxes and bank online. They can also apply for jobs and access educational resources, such as online tools that help students with their homework. Connected Nation helps seniors set up e-mail accounts and teaches them how to swap pictures with family members online, he said.

“The biggest barriers have to be addressed to get those people online,” Mefford said. “This program will begin addressing those barriers starting with the poorest of the poor.”

The project will cost about $78 million - the group has applied for about $52 million in federal stimulus funding and expects those funds to be approved this summer. The remaining costs will be funded by private donations, Mefford said.

If stimulus funds are approved, the project should begin this summer and last about two years. The FCC, however, has recommended to Congress that the project be ongoing, Mefford said.

Within the first two years, officials hope to place computers and broadband connections in 250,000 homes across the country. The project targets families with an average annual income of $13,000.

“It makes sense to start with that segment and build public trust in the use of federal (money) for such a program,” Mefford said.

In Kentucky, project officials will work with the Kentucky Housing Corp. and are working on a demonstration project in a Lexington neighborhood.

According to Connected Nation’s most recent statistics from 2007, in Warren County, about 69 percent of the population owns a computer and 42 percent subscribes to broadband.

Locally, Connected Nation will recruit people, mainly college students, to provide technical support and educate residents about broadband. The positions will be paid and will be similar to internships. They could begin by late summer, Mefford said.

“We’ll also be looking for other adults in the community who are technology savvy,” Mefford said, “who might be interested in being that type of ongoing resource.”

Read more about Connected Nation and the Digital Adoption Coalition

March 23, 2010

By Kim Hart
The Hill

Internet providers, computer manufacturers and a number of non-profits announced today that they have formed a coalition to help increase U.S. broadband adoption in the poorest households.

The Digital Adoption Coalition is comprised of One Economy, Connected Nation, AT&T, Comcast, Dell, Intel, Time Warner Cable and USTelecom, to name a few.

The coalition aims to provide discounted broadband service, discounted computers and digital literacy training to low-income households by working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

One Economy filed an application with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration last week to receive broadband stimulus funding to support the digital training, equipment discounts and project administration.

"We see this as a great opportunity to create these ecosystems when you get residents hooked up to broadband and let people experience the merits," said Ken Eisner, managing director of OE Ventures at One Economy.

If the Commerce Department accepts the coalition's application, it would fund two year's worth of broadband service and digital literacy training. None of the funding would go to the broadband providers, who have agreed to offer free installation and 50 percent discounts on modem costs and service plans.

As part of this program, Microsoft, Dell and Intel agreed to match federal government spending toward new computer purchases for low-income households. Working through HUD lets the coalition help low-income families living in multi-family and project-based Section 8 housing get access to broadband, he said.

"The broadband adoption gap in HUD is often the biggest," Eisner told The Hill. "These are the poorest of the poor, where the average family income is slightly north of $12,000 a year."The coalition has also had preliminary discussions with the Department of Education and the Social Security Administration.

According to the Commerce Department, 35 percent of American households do not have broadband at home and low adoption rates are mostly found in low-income communities. The Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan called for more public-private partnerships to address the digital divide and adoption gaps.

Learn more about the Digital Adoption Coalition

March 9, 2010

By CNNMoney.com

Application, Video Deadline Approaching for Windstream Charitable Program

February 25, 2010

By Stephen Rickerl
The Southern

CARBONDALE - A new website launched Wednesday by Connect Illinois offers users new tools that they hope will narrow the digital divide.

Connect Illinois, a public and private partnership led by the Office of the Governor and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is partnered with Connect SI, Connected Nation and Man-Tra-Con Corporation. The goal of Connect Illinois is to bring broadband access to un-served and underserved regions throughout Illinois.

BroadbandStat was launched via a webinar and utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) technology that will allow users to access data related to current broadband availability, population and education demographics and scenarios for broadband expansion.

BroadbandStat offers a picture of broadband data and makes the information accessible to the public. Connect Illinois hopes that BroadbandStat will help consumers, technology providers and policy makers formulate a plan to expand and adopt broadband.

Rex Duncan of Connect SI said the new website will help analyze the broadband situation in Southern Illinois in terms of understanding broadband connectivity.

"We have not seen data like this before," Duncan said. "This will provide data on what kind of access is available and what providers are available." Duncan said the map will help users visualize un-served areas that could lead to individuals or businesses considering capital investment opportunities.

Currently, the Connect Illinois mapping project covers 93 percent of all Illinois households or 4.28 million households. Duncan said this is the most in-depth mapping program to date, but said there will be more mapping yet to come.

stephen.rickerl@thesouthern.com

Link to article here.

February 23, 2010

By GISCafe.com

ESRI's BroadbandStat, a new application for mapping, analyzing, and validating data about high-speed Internet availability, debuted on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in January. ESRI demonstrated the application to policy makers, industry executives, and government agency representatives at two venues, the Technology Policy Exhibition and State of the Net Conference. The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, a private-sector organization that educates policy makers on Internet-related issues, sponsored both events.

BroadbandStat was developed in conjunction with Connected Nation, a nonprofit corporation and leader in promoting broadband expansion. The application gives states the ability to build and evaluate broadband expansion scenarios that take into account demographics, current broadband availability, and adoption barriers such as public access to computers. States can use the results to pinpoint where the expansion of new broadband services will help support local economic development. States can also post interactive maps of broadband coverage on the Internet to share the information with the public and receive feedback.

Jon Gant, a professor at the University of Illinois, Champaign, who attended the exhibition, was impressed by the BroadbandStat user-friendly interface. "Look at how smoothly the graphics transition from query to query," said Gant, who teaches GIS classes and has used GIS data for more than 20 years.

BroadbandStat results are also useful to broadband service providers.

"BroadbandStat is a very important tool," said Bob Mayfield, managing partner of Electronic Communications Systems, a small broadband provider in Tennessee. "For providers to be able to look at the market as we are developing our business plans—to see where broadband exists and where the demand is—this is the best thing that's come out in a while," Mayfield added.

The State of Tennessee is using BroadbandStat to post maps of statewide coverage on its Connected Tennessee Web site at www.connectedtn.org.

Eleven other states and the territory of Puerto Rico are currently ramping up to use BroadbandStat. The State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program recently granted more than $20 million to support mapping projects that use the application in these states and Puerto Rico. The funds were made available through the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

For more information on BroadbandStat, visit www.esri.com/bbstat.

Link to article here.

February 17, 2010

By Jeffrey Rubenstone
Engineering News-Record

Mapping existing broadband service is a requirement for states angling for a piece of the roughly $4.2 billion in matching American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for high-speed Internet expansion. But with a deadline approaching, states and municipalities have been scrambling to find the data.

Read more at Engineering News-Record (subscription required)

February 13, 2010

By Jenna Mink
The Daily News (Bowling Green, KY)

February 8, 2010

by Tom Eblen
The Lexington Herald-Leader

A century ago, farm-to-market roads were the new infrastructure Kentucky needed to move its economy forward. A half-century ago, it was interstates and parkways.

Now, it’s the information superhighway.

As the federal government begins taking applications Feb. 15 for $7.2 billion in second-round stimulus money to expand broadband, it’s a good time to check in on a Kentucky program that has become a model for other states.

ConnectKentucky was launched as a public-private partnership in 2004 to map high-speed Internet access in Kentucky, find gaps in coverage and work county-by-county with citizens, local officials and service providers to fill them. Much of the work focused on rural areas and the mountains.

From 2004 to 2007, broadband availability grew from 58 percent of Kentucky households to 95 percent, ConnectKentucky says.

The organization’s newest initiative uses money from coal severance taxes and the Appalachian Regional Commission to expand broadband access in Breathitt, Powell, Estill and Lee counties.

ConnectKentucky also works to teach people how to use computers and to promote broadband as a way to improve economic and community development, education and health care.

That’s because broadband availability and affordability aren’t the only issues, said René True, executive director of ConnectKentucky. “Sometimes there’s a lack of understanding of the value that broadband can bring to a household or an individual,” he said.

ConnectKentucky’s Computers 4 Kids program has distributed 3,203 computers to low-income families and non-profit organizations. Many of those were older models refurbished by state inmates, who in the process learned skills they can use to get jobs when they leave prison.

The organization’s Web site — www.connectkentucky.org — includes county-by-county information and broadband speed-testing software.

ConnectKentucky has become a national model for broadband expansion. After Ohio and Tennessee wanted to copy ConnectKentucky’s approach, a national non-profit, Connected Nation, was formed as an umbrella organization. Connected Nation also now works with 10 other states and Puerto Rico.

ConnectKentucky and Connected Nation haven’t escaped controversy. Critics complain that the public-private partnership favors major telephone and cable companies at the expense of small providers and public broadband solutions.

The organizations dispute that, saying they work with all providers in a given area. Nationally, 19 big corporations now provide 93 percent of all broadband services, according to Leichtman Research Group, an industry consultant.

They also have been caught up in a larger debate about national broadband policy. Critics say America needs a more ambitious national broadband strategy than simply supporting the individual business strategies of private providers.

Connected Nation has attracted bipartisan political support, as has ConnectKentucky, which was launched by then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a Republican, but built on work begun by his predecessor, Gov. Paul Patton, a Democrat.

Still, in the scramble to balance the two-year state budget in 2008, Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed $1.2 million in annual funding for ConnectKentucky, which surprised some lawmakers. True said the organization hasn’t asked for state funding for the next budget cycle.

ConnectKentucky is being kept afloat now by Connected Nation, $100,000 in corporate support and other revenue from grants and consulting work, True said. Rather than statewide projects, it is focusing on local efforts where it can secure grants and other funding.

One such project begins in April, when ConnectKentucky will use a $134,000 Kentucky Housing Corp. grant to provide computers, broadband connectivity and training to low-income residents in the redeveloped Equestrian View neighborhood of Lexington’s East End. Lexmark is donating printers.

True said ConnectKentucky plans to apply for some of the new federal stimulus money to expand that kind of program to other public housing in Kentucky.

“It’s a key component for participating in the 21st-century economy,” he said of computer knowledge and broadband access. “Without it, we’re going to be left behind.”

Link to article here.

January 27, 2010

GIS User

More than $20 Million in U.S. Stimulus Funds Are Awarded to 10 States and Puerto Rico for GIS-Based Broadband Mapping and Planning Initiatives

Redlands, California — Ten U.S. states and one U.S. territory will soon launch comprehensive broadband mapping and planning initiatives based on ESRI's geographic information system (GIS) technology. They will use BroadbandStat, an application developed by ESRI and Connected Nation, to organize and display broadband service and related data on the Internet.

The BroadbandStat application hosts interactive Web maps that show broadband coverage across U.S. states and incorporates other relevant data. It includes tools that use service provider and demographics data to identify unserved and underserved broadband areas with optimum potential for new broadband infrastructure development. Its Web capabilities enable a shared picture of broadband data and support transparency by giving the public access to the information.

The new state broadband mapping initiatives are supported by more than $20 million in State Broadband Data and Development Program grants recently announced by the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

"These grant dollars are an investment in the future of Texas," said Texas agricultural commissioner Todd Staples in a press release on NTIA's $2.5 million award to Texas. "Many communities do not have sufficient broadband service, which limits their abilities to attract new economic development opportunities. It is essential that families, schools, and businesses have high-speed Internet access that will open up the prospects for development."

Funds were made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). More than $7 billion in ARRA stimulus funds have been designated to help expand broadband access in unserved and underserved communities across the United States. The NTIA grants were awarded to each state's designated project entity, which in many cases is Connected Nation, a nonprofit corporation and leader in promoting broadband expansion. Awards include the following:

• Florida: $2.5 million, to Florida Department of Management Services
• Illinois: $1.8 million, to Partnership for a Connected Illinois
• Iowa: $2.2 million, to Connected Nation
• Michigan: $1.8 million, to Connected Nation
• Minnesota: $1.7 million, to Connected Nation
• Nevada: $1.4 million, to Connected Nation
• Ohio: $1.8 million, to Ohio Office of Information Technology
• Puerto Rico: $1.4 million, to Puerto Rico Office of the Chief Information Officer
• South Carolina: $1.7 million, to Connected Nation
• Tennessee: $1.8 million, to Connected Tennessee
• Texas: $2.5 million, to Connected Nation

For more information about ESRI's BroadbandStat application, visit www.esri.com/bbstat.

January 25, 2010

By Kim Hart
The Hill's Hillicon Valley blog

A large chunk of the $7 billion in broadband stimulus funds is going toward creating maps of broadband coverage. Connected Nation, a non-profit organization, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mapping grants so far.

Connected Nation has partnered with 12 states and Puerto Rico. The grants to these states for broadband mapping total $25 million. In some cases, Connected Nation is receives the funding directly; in others, it is the subcontractor to the state.

The organization has been criticized for taking funding from big telecom companies, potentially creating a conflict of interest when it then creates maps depicting those companies' broadband coverage. It will be in town this week at the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee's "State of the Net" conference to show off its new interactive mapping tool.

I talked with Brian Mefford, the CEO of Connected Nation, about the the map-making process, the broadband plan and the funding criticism. Mefford, the son of a BellSouth lobbyist, started out at Connected Kentucky back in 2004 to bring broadband to rural parts of the state. The group then morphed into Connected Nation to form similar programs in other states.

How do you go about making the maps?

What that requires is reaching out to all the broadband providers in a particular state. We begin outreach to every single provider, regardless of the type of technology they provide or the size of the company. The initial discussion is intended to raise awareness and establish a relationship so they understand the process that we are going through.

The first substantive exchange is establishing a nondisclosure agreement. They’re going to provide us whatever type of data they have in any form that allows us to demonstrate where they provide service. We literally have companies fax in a map with lines drawn in that say, "Here’s where we provide service." Someone might send addresses covered by their network. We have to normalize all that so we can present it as a covered area on a map.

The validation process is something we invest as heavily in as the data collection. Once we receive the data from providers, we translate it into a GIS format and then validate it by sending it back to provider and ask if it accurately represents where they provide service. There will be additions, deletions and other changes.

Our engineers will then spot-check that their (broadband network) equipment is actually where they say it is. They use spectrum analyzers to provide wireless analysis. Then we do telephone surveys with homes and businesses to check their availability.

How will you update the maps as more recent data comes in?

With our interactive maps, the data is automatically updated. Part of why these interactive maps are so important is that they allow the state and [Commerce Department] to do scenario-building exercises for prospective grants. We'll be able to look at the maps and say what the impact will be, how many low-income households can be served, how many elderly customers can be reached. You can look at the return on investment on future grants.

The maps can also demonstrate survey research going on in the state. Not only are you going to be able to look at the supply-side scenario but also look at the demand side that can further inform planning for the state.

Connected Nation has been criticized for accepting money from the large telecom companies. How much money comes from companies like AT&T and Verizon?

Financially, I think it's been less than two percent. That money is used primarily for a program called No Child Left Offline. That money has been used to put computers in the hands of families that couldn't afford them. It hasn't been operational funding. It's been flow-through funding to help us put computers in communities. The level of funding [from telecom companies] is going to drop.

We were blazing a trail where no maps had ever before existed. One of the ways to solve the problem was to build a rapport with companies that own the data we needed to make the maps. We established our organization from the beginning as a public-private partnership.

That's why from the very beginning private companies have been involved. That's why we were able to create the first map.

How do you respond to the argument that your organization is too close to the telecom companies whose services you are mapping? Is there a conflict of interest?

We've not apologized for the fact that we've accomplished what we have by creating true public-private partnerships. We’ve wanted private companies to be at the table. In fact, that’s part of why you see in the Recovery Act a 20 percent match requirement. The original thinking was that there would be on some level private sector funding.

State budgets alone just cannot support the amount of work needed to be done to get to broadband environment to where it needs to be.

Is there anything in particular that you'd like the FCC to include in its National Broadband Plan?

We hope they recognize the need to invest on the demand side. So much of the stimulus is focused on the supply side. It’s easy to lose track of the fact that 90 percent of the country has some access to broadband today but only 60 percent chooses to use it.

What our data demonstrates is that we have to address the affordability issue, but even more than that we have the relevancy issue we have to be addressed.

They’re saying they just don’t need it. That tells us that there’s a huge need for us to be in communities working with folks who aren’t able to take advantage of the broadband. That’s the low-hanging fruit across the country.

We have to demonstrate a return on investment for using Skype or other services. It's not something that can be diagnosed from afar. It’s not an inexpensive proposition. It takes feet on the street. It takes being in communities and with people to relate to particular communities to understand those barriers.

Link to post here.

January 15, 2010

By Arik Hesseldahl
Business Week

Research shows that U.S. regions where broadband was introduced saw accelerated job growth, but the increased labor pool weighed on wages

Increased access to high-speed Internet connections helps create jobs, though it doesn't always result in higher wages, according to a new research report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Areas of the U.S. that went from having no broadband provider to as many as three in the period from 1999 to 2006 had faster job growth than the rest of the country, according to the study, presented in Washington, D.C., at an event hosted by the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank. Along with more jobs come additional employers and new residents who compete with workers for jobs. That in turn keeps pressure on salaries, the report says.

"This expansion in the labor supply keeps the employment rate from going up, and prevents wages and earnings from rising rapidly," says PPIC fellow Jed Kolko, a former research director at Forrester Research (FORR). "While the effect on places seems very clear, the effect on residents is somewhat ambiguous."

Because the population increases at the same time more jobs are created, the rate of joblessness changes little, Kolko says. Existing residents have to compete harder for new jobs and see no change in their chances of getting a job, according to the report.

Broadband Stimulus Expectations

The results may be useful in assessing the impact of government plans to spend $7.2 billion to fund grants aimed at improving access to broadband in the U.S., especially in areas that have little access to fast Web connections. "We looked at the recent past as our guide for what is likely to happen as a result of broadband stimulus initiatives designed to raise availability," Kolko says.

William Lehr, a research scientist and economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has researched the economics of broadband access, says Kolko's work may help manage expectations around the benefits of broadband. "It's part of providing a richer understanding of what the available data can and can't tell us," Lehr says. "The benefits of job growth from broadband may not be as great going forward as some of the research in the past has suggested."

People who live in areas where high-speed Internet access is not available or too expensive are left at a social and economic disadvantage, broadband advocates say. In an era when employers typically demand a familiarity with the Internet for even entry-level jobs, and when elected officials communicate with the public via e-mail and Twitter, there's a case to be made that people without access to affordable broadband miss out on significant aspects of modern American life. The largest providers of high-speed Internet access include AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA), and Verizon Communications (VZ).

Last year, as part of the $787 billion American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, Congress approved $4.7 billion in funding through the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA), with the remaining $2.5 billion going to the Agriculture Dept.'s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The first batch of funding, about $183 million, was awarded to 18 different organizations in December, and another $7.5 million was awarded in a grant to the city of Los Angeles on Jan. 13.

Job Creation Effect

Increased availability of broadband tends to result in more jobs for companies with high concentrations of professional, administrative, and scientific needs, and fewer for manufacturing firms, according to the research. The effect is also stronger in places with lower populations as local businesses find ways to reach new markets farther afield. Increased availability of broadband also results in higher tax returns for municipal and county governments as property values increase and the number of people paying taxes rises, the study found.

Researchers were unable to find a relationship between broadband expansion and telecommuting. "Back in the mid-1990s, there were lots of popular articles that argued that broadband would enable us to move to the places we really wanted to live, as opposed to the cities that we live in," Kolko says. "There's actually no evidence for that."

Brian Mefford, chairman and CEO of Connected Nation, a nonprofit organization that encourages broadband development, says the report indicates the broadband stimulus program will ultimately pay off economically. "We're finally seeing a correlation between economic growth and broadband," Mefford says. "But it shows that there's less of an impact until people are actually using the technology. That shows there's a need for the stimulus to include programs that encourage demand."

Link to article here.

January 12, 2010

Farm Bureau News

SEATTLE – There was a time when railroads were the perfect rural development tool. Then the interstate system brought prosperity – or in some cases decline – to certain towns.

These days, “rural development” can refer to many different things, some of which were discussed by representatives of state Farm Bureaus at an informational session held during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting. State Farm Bureaus have been involved in separate rural development efforts that work to expand broadband access in Kansas, promote local foods in Ohio and build vibrant communities in North Carolina.

“Farm Bureau has a responsibility to assume a position of leadership,” said North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten, who moderated the session. In order to stay vibrant and healthy, rural communities depend on local farmers and ranchers, but the reverse is also true: farmers and ranchers depend on vibrant and healthy local communities, Wooten added.

The Kansas Farm Bureau is heavily involved in a project called Connect Kansas, a subsidiary of the national non-profit Connected Nation. Connect Kansas’ goal is to map and expand broadband coverage in rural Kansas.

The intent, said Harry Watts, KFB’s managing director of governmental relations, is to “create a national model in Kansas” to help other states expand broadband access as well. The program has several key components, including mapping the entire state’s broadband infrastructure.

Connect Kansas is also conducting a survey to find out how citizens are using the Internet, where they are getting online and what prevents them from connecting. The program is also targeting what Watts referred to as the “disenfranchised” – those who don’t use the Internet simply because they can’t afford a laptop. Broadband access has a huge impact on the viability of rural communities, Watts said, affecting everything from attracting businesses to leadership development to distance learning opportunities, and even things like health care.

The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, through its involvement in the Ohio Food Policy Council, is working on several initiatives to help boost rural development by helping farmers develop new markets for their farm products.

Among these initiatives, said Adam Sharp, senior director of legislative and regulatory policy for Ohio Farm Bureau, are developing a mobile poultry processing unit in the state helping schools offer local foods in their cafeterias; and directing resources toward improving the Ohio MarketMaker program, which helps farmers connect to consumers and food businesses – and helps food businesses and consumers connect to farmers.

North Carolina Farm Bureau is involved in a wide array of rural development initiatives, said Debbie Hamrick, director of specialty crops for NCFB. They include Farm to Fork (a local foods initiative), the Farm Energy Efficiency Project, the “Strategic Plan to Protect North Carolina’s Agricultural Water Resources,” Dairy Advantage (a program designed to help stabilize and grow the state’s dairy industry), and Healthy Living for a Lifetime (which provides rural North Carolinians with free health screenings, job creation and information on leading a healthier lifestyle).

She advised those interested in helping their rural communities to think outside the box. “Reach out to traditional and non-traditional partners,” she said.

Link to article here.

January 9, 2010

by Chris Conetzkey
Des Moines Business News

The state of Iowa will receive a matching federal grant worth $2.2 million to help fund a broadband Internet mapping and planning initiative that could help close the digital divide in Iowa by bringing the benefits of high-speed Internet access to the unserved and underserved areas of the state.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is using money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to fund the Iowa project as well as similar mapping projects in the other 49 states, five territories and Washington, D.C. In total, NTIA will dole out approximately $100 million in grants to help fund each state project, so that it can create a dynamic national broadband map that will be updated twice a year.

"Congress rightly recognized that increasing broadband access and adoption in communities being left behind in the 21st century economy depends on better data collection and broadband planning," said Lawrence Strickling, assistant secretary for communications and information and NTIA administrator.

The hope, according to NTIA, is to increase broadband access and adoption, and make planning easier, by creating state maps and a national map to show the availability, speed and location of broadband access across the country. Such maps don't currently exist.

"There is a piecemeal way for people to tell, but there isn't a comprehensive way right now," said Jessica Schafer, NTIA press secretary. "You might be able to call up your local provider and ask them what their area is, but it is hard for people to get a comprehensive picture of what the broadband situation is in any specific area."

Connected Nation, a nonprofit that has mapped eight states, is the designated entity to map Iowa. Connected Nation created Connect Iowa, a partnership between the Iowa Utilities Board, the Iowa Broadband Deployment Governance Board and Connected Nation, to lead the initiative in the state. The state of Iowa will provide direction and supervision to planning activities that will be undertaken by Connected Nation in an effort to make sure the funds are used to address the specific needs of the state.

"The Iowa broadband map is the foundation upon which policy leaders and industry will build a plan to bring high-speed Internet access to the unserved and underserved parts of Iowa," said Robert Berntsen, chair of the Iowa Utilities Board.

Connected Nation will implement its brand-new interactive mapping tool called BroadbandStat, which will allow the public to view, analyze and validate broadband data. The map will function much like a Google map, according to Connected Nation communications director Jessica Ditto, who said the map would be searchable and enable users to see where broadband service is available, the speed of service and availability of service at schools, libraries, hospitals, universities and public buildings.

Each involved organization feels that the tool will be something policy-makers, consumers and businesses can use as a decision-making tool. Schafer gave an example of a business looking to invest in a new area, using the map to determine if it will have access to sufficient broadband for its purposes. She said it will also allow policy-makers to better know where to focus efforts to expand broadband access.

Of the $2.2 million going to Iowa, $1.7 million will be used for mapping over two years, and $500,000 will be used for broadband planning activities over a five-year period. Ditto says the planning component will help take the mapping process to the next level because it involves understanding and analyzing the data that is gathered and it will help state policy-makers track the deployment of broadband over the course of the mapping project. This will allow policy-makers at the Iowa Utilities Board to plan out broadband expansion efforts and allow for statewide surveys to determine how many people use broadband.

"Because BroadbandStat is an interactive portal, those planning dollars will be even greater utilized because they will be able to show the economic impact of broadband deployment and project what the economic impact would be if broadband was deployed in an area," Ditto said. "Or they will be able to use the topographic and demographic information that is revealed on a map to determine how much it will cost to expand broadband in areas that have been identified as unserved or underserved."

Some studies, according to Ditto, have shown that one-third of Americans who have access to broadband don't take advantage of it. As part of the planning process, data that is collected in the map will be used to help battle those adoption issues. She also said the Connect Iowa program can help raise awareness about the benefits of using broadband.

NTIA is required by the ARRA to have the interactive national broadband map completed and publicly available by Feb. 17, 2011. Even before the grant was secured, Connected Nation began compiling a list of Iowa providers and alerting them it would soon be asking for data so the organization would be prepared for the massive amount of data collection. Ditto said Iowa has more broadband providers than any other state in the country, which can make it more difficult to compile the data. She said an exact time frame for the completion of the Iowa map is still not set, but the goal is to be done as soon as possible.

Link to article here.

December 23, 2009

By Kayla Habermehl
The Bay City Times

Michigan received a $1.8 million grant to created a map of existing broadband internet service and to gather information, the Michigan Public Service Commission announced.

The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

The program, Connect Michigan, aims to expand broadband internet service and help boost the economy, said Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"Extending high-speed Internet access to every corner of the state is part of our effort to diversify Michigan's economy and create jobs," Granholm said. "The comprehensive coverage map developed with the Recovery Act funds will help us open the door to the economic opportunities afforded by faster, more reliable Internet access to un-served and underserved communities throughout the state."

The Public Service Commission will work with Connected Nation, which does broadband mapping.

The first phase of the map is projected to be finished by spring. The information will spur the development of a two-year plan to expand broadband service.

For more information, visit www.connectmi.org.

Link to article here.