Connected Nation Appoints Chief Financial Officer

BOWLING GREEN, Ky - Connected Nation, a national leader in U.S. broadband acceleration, has named John Hamm its Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Hamm will lead Connected Nation’s finance group providing strategic vision and accountability for all financial aspects of Connected Nation’s operations and business development. Connected Nation is a national pioneer and leader in the effort to expand broadband with a footprint that reaches 30 states. Connected Nation is the largest single contributor to the milestone National Broadband Map being managed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.

“We are excited about the addition of John to our team as he brings with him more than twenty years of demonstrated experience in financial management, reporting and analysis, due diligence, forecasting, corporate accounting, and strategic and financial planning,” said Connected Nation CEO Brian Mefford. “John’s proven expertise will further ensure we maintain the highest level of financial accountability and compliance while maximizing our impact as we continue to expand our vital mission across the country with public and private partners.”

Hamm was most recently CFO Partner at Tatum, LLC in Nashville, Tennessee. Tatum is one of the largest executive services firms providing executive level finance and operational guidance to more than 6,000 domestic and international clients.

“I am delighted to join the Connected Nation team. The expansion of broadband access and the ability to enhance the flow of knowledge and information is vitally important to society today,” Hamm said. “Connected Nation is uniquely qualified to assist our partners expand the reach and the impact of broadband services to communities and groups nationwide.”

Hamm has also previously served in executive level positions with Healthspring, Emdeon Business Services, Viacom, and CBS Cable.

Hamm, who is a Certified Management Accountant and Certified Financial Manager, has an MBA from West Virginia University and a BS from Wheeling Jesuit University.

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Minnesota Releases New Broadband Availability and Adoption Statistics Report

(ST. PAUL, MN) St Paul, MN – The state of Minnesota made an empowering move today towards increasing high-speed Internet access and adoption across the state. The Minnesota Department of Commerce and its partner, Connect Minnesota, released an in-depth report that takes a state-wide snapshot of Minnesota’s technological landscape. The Minnesota Broadband Availability and Adoption Statistics report, now available on Connect Minnesota’s website (http://www.connectmn.org/research/), is a key element for strategic planning and further development of high-speed Internet access and adoption programs across the state.

“We are focused on ensuring Minnesota has the broadband access we need for our consumers, businesses and institutions to provide opportunity and competiveness in our global economy,” said Mike Rothman, Commissioner of Commerce, the designated agency partner for Connect Minnesota for the federally-funded broadband mapping initiative. “This map is an important first step in the progress for access to broadband Internet.”

This assessment of the broadband market in Minnesota is conducted by Connect Minnesota in partnership with the Minnesota Broadband Task Force and the Minnesota Department of Commerce. This working paper aims to provide a detailed review of the current state of broadband in Minnesota that will spark discussion across multiple broadband stakeholders in the state on key policy and strategies to expand and enhance the broadband experience for all Minnesotans.

“The data contained in this detailed report will serve as an integral resource for spurring broadband development and adoption plans,” said Brian Mefford, CEO of Connect Minnesota’s nonprofit parent organization, Connected Nation. “This research will assist in facilitating the fulfillment of technological modernization goals that have been set for Minnesota.”

Highlights from the report:

• Minnesota’s broadband marketplace is interesting when comparing the few urban areas of the state with their rural counterparts. Because three-fifths of Minnesotans reside in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, broadband inventory data shows high availability of upper speed tier broadband in the state.

• The outlook, however, for the state’s remaining households indicates fewer choices and slower speeds. Furthermore, while only available to less than 4 percent of Minnesota households, fiber to the home broadband is available in more than 50 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

• An estimated 66,647 Minnesota households (3.41 percent) lack basic broadband service and remain unserved by terrestrial, fixed broadband. It is further estimated that approximately 93.76 percent of Minnesota households have broadband available at download speeds of 3 Mbps or more. This implies that an estimated 118,313 Minnesota households have basic broadband available but lack fixed broadband service of at least 3 Mbps downstream.

• The adoption percentage of households across Minnesota that have broadband service in the home is 72 percent; by comparison, national surveys show that 67 percent of American households subscribe to home broadband service.

• Statewide, 85 percent of all residents own a home computer. This translates into over 588,000 adults without a home computer, with 73 percent of those without a computer saying they do not believe they need one.

According to this report’s findings, Minnesota does appear to be different from the much of the rest of the country in one important way.

• Broadband speeds at higher speed tiers are significantly higher than many other states.

• Minnesota’s availability of broadband at the 50 Mpbs and 100 Mbps speed tiers is significantly greater than many other states. Also interesting is the prevalence of fiber-to-the-home broadband. While fiber is only available to 3.98 percent of households in Minnesota, this FTTH availability is spread across more than 50 of our counties, and not concentrated in just a few areas.

Connect Minnesota is the state’s designated entity for the statewide broadband mapping and planning initiative under the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information (NTIA) State Broadband Data and Development (SBDD) program. Over the course of a five-year award period the project aims to expand broadband access and use across the state through broadband mapping, identifying barriers to broadband adoption, generating statewide awareness, creating local technology planning teams, and establishing computer ownership and Internet access programs.

Connect Minnesota provided the mapping data used in the National Broadband Map which was released by the NTIA last week. Connect Minnesota will continue to gather semi-annual updates on the broadband maps over the next four years. Citizens are encouraged to visit the map and offer feedback to ensure the highest level of accuracy.

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Statewide Broadband Task Force Named

Juneau, Alaska – Commissioner Susan Bell today announced the formation of a statewide broadband task force to work with the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) on a plan to accelerate the deployment and availability of affordable broadband technology throughout the state.

The 20-person task force will look at how Alaska should expand high-speed Internet to everyone across Alaska, the policies that should be in place to encourage broadband development as well as to plan for a broadband summit in 2012. Commissioner Bell said the task force members, who were nominated by their respective organizations, are individuals who understand the challenges of broadband deployment across Alaska and who have specific knowledge of communications systems, their normative uses and the technology that supports them.

“These are people who are willing to work cooperatively and together toward the best benefit of the State of Alaska, and they will be a big part of our effort to radically improve the lives of rural residents and remote towns,” Commissioner Bell said. “The administration is working to develop greater opportunities, and a new throughway to economic empowerment, a valuable lifeline to the outside world and all the opportunity that brings.”

DCCED oversees the Connect Alaska program, a subsidiary of the national nonprofit Connected Nation, the designated entity developing a statewide broadband inventory map and the Alaska broadband plan. Funding for Connect Alaska and the broadband initiative are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA).

The program’s first priority was to map the state’s broadband inventory, and that map was made public last September. It can be found at www.connectak.org. Last week, NTIA unveiled the national broadband map, to which Connect Alaska contributed the data of 21 broadband service providers and 2,031 community anchor institutions.

In all, the national map (www.broadbandmap.gov) features 25 million searchable records and data from 1,600 unique broadband internet services providers, all collected by the states. It displays the geographic areas where broadband service is available; the technology used to provide the service; the speeds of the service; and, the broadband internet service available at anchor institutions.

Commissioner Bell said the launch of the national broadband map is a key milestone in the overall plan to develop targeted state and local broadband policies and programs. “I'm proud of the role that our partners and DCCED have played in creating such a powerful tool that will benefit consumers and businesses nationwide," she said. “And, I’m looking forward to involving as many pertinent stakeholders on the task force as possible.”

The task force will convene for its first meeting before the end of March, and will meet monthly to begin the development of a broadband plan, with recommendations to be forwarded to the Governor’s Office. The task force also will begin planning the statewide broadband summit, which will take place in 2012.

List of Task Force Members and the Organizations They Represent:

Providers & Suppliers:
Maureen Moore / GCI
Mike Todd / ACS
Chris Brown / AT&T
David Goggins / Alaska Telephone Association
Larry Bell / IBEW 1547

Community Anchors & User Groups:
Stevi Morton / Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association
Robert Whicker / Alaska Association of School Boards
Steve Smith / University of Alaska
Mike Robinson / Alaska Library Association
Bill Popp / Alaska Partnership for Economic Development
Jeff Tucker / Alaska Municipal League
Mike Baker / Alaska Pacific University
Myron Naneng / Alaska Federation of Natives
Joseph Davis / Member-at-large

Regulators & Policy Makers:
Rep. Bob Herron / Alaska House of Representatives
Senator Joe Paskvan / Alaska State Senate
Rich Gazaway / Regulatory Commission of Alaska
Jim Kohler / Alaska State Department of Administration
John Boucher / Office of the Governor
Roberta Graham / Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development

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Connected Nation Salutes Launch of Nation’s First Broadband Map

Map is significant milestone in charting America’s broadband deployment

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Watch: Brian Mefford Remarks on National Map

Washington, DC – Today the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) is launching the National Broadband Map, which marks an important milestone in building the nation’s broadband infrastructure. The product of an intensive and joint effort of the NTIA, FCC, state governments, industry, and non-profits like Connected Nation, the map will be a key tool for the American public and policymakers.

“Broadband is the vital infrastructure to the information economy, but until now, the American public has not had a comprehensive picture about where that infrastructure is robust and where it needs improving,” said Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation. “Today’s launch of the National Broadband Map is a key milestone, as it will lead to smarter investments, and targeted state and local broadband policies and programs. I’m proud of the role that Connected Nation has played in creating such a powerful tool that will benefit consumers and businesses nationwide.”

Connected Nation, a non-profit, public-private partnership, has played an instrumental role in developing, gathering data, and verifying data for the National Broadband Map. As the broadband mapping agent for twelve states and the Territory of Puerto Rico, Connected Nation has contributed nearly a quarter of the records in the national map. Connected Nation’s contribution covered approximately 42 percent of the country’s landmass, approximately 39.5 million households, and data of more than 1,200 broadband service providers.

“Having access to broadband can literally make or break a community’s economic future and the welfare of its citizens,” continued Mefford. For example, Connected Nation surveys have shown that:

• In Michigan, businesses that use broadband average $200,000 more in annual revenue than business without broadband.
• 77% of Internet-connected adults with disabilities go online to access e-health resources.
• Nearly half a million (480,000) rural Texans use the Internet to further their education by taking online classes.

The National Map also offers several tools for analyzing broadband availability by broadband speed and technology. These tools will be critical to important policy debates. For example, last week, the Federal Communications Commission proposed to redirect up to $1 billion in current federal universal service subsidies to areas the map marks as unserved. Similarly, state and local broadband policymakers will use the map to inform government infrastructure initiatives, planning projects, and adoption programs.

This collaborative and largely state-driven approach to broadband mapping has succeeded in boosting broadband availability and adoption. Connected Nation pioneered this approach beginning in 2001 in Kentucky, and later in Ohio and Tennessee. During the span of these Connected Nation programs, broadband availability in Tennessee jumped from 87% in 2007 to 94% in 2010, while availability in Ohio climbed from 93% in 2008 to 98% in 2010. These achievements led to Congress passing the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008, which established similar programs for states and public-private partnerships to gather broadband availability information, verify it, and release it to the public. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this program is today administered by the NTIA as the State Broadband Data Development Program.

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About Connected Nation: Connected Nation is the broadband mapping agent in 13 states and territories (Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas) under the NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development grant program. This work comprises approximately 42 percent of the country’s landmass and encompasses approximately 39.5 million households. Connected Nation is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that expands access to and use of broadband Internet and related technologies. Connected Nation effectively raises the awareness of the value of broadband and related technologies by developing coalitions for improving technology availability and use. Connected Nation works with consumers, community leaders, states, technology providers and foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop and implement technology expansion programs. Connected Nation’s mission is to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. http://www.connectednation.org/.

Michigan Businesses With Broadband Create Jobs, Connect Michigan Report Shows

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Survey of Michigan businesses establishes link between high-speed Internet use and bottom line

Lansing, MI — A new report by Connect Michigan shows businesses with a broadband connection are likely to generate more revenue and jobs. Michigan businesses with high-speed Internet connections report having median annual revenues $200,000 more than businesses without broadband

“In the digital economy, businesses must embrace broadband, and other transformative technologies like it, in order to remain competitive and viable,” said Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation, Connect Michigan’s parent organization. “The Internet is driving products and services to the marketplace in an environment where creativity and innovation are both reinforced and rewarded.”

Connect Michigan, a statewide public-private partnership working on broadband expansion, has released a new study on technology usage among businesses in Michigan. The new Business Technology Assessment reveals how technology is being used by businesses and where gaps still remain. The assessment is designed to measure technology adoption and the awareness of available broadband service among Michigan businesses, and establish benchmarks for these metrics.

Findings from this survey illustrate a significant correlation between high-speed Internet adoption and a business’s bottom line. Specific examples include:

• Businesses with high-speed Internet connections report having median annual revenues $200,000 more than businesses without broadband.
• About one-half of all Michigan businesses (50%, or approximately 118,000 businesses) have a website. Median annual revenues among businesses that use broadband and have a website are double the state average.
• Broadband can enable job creation and enhance quality of life. 24% of Michigan businesses let employees telework.
• Statewide, more than eight out of ten Michigan businesses (84%, or approximately 197,000 businesses) use computers for their work functions. Among those that do not use a computer, the largest barrier is the belief that they do not need computers for their work, followed by those that report that their business is too small to benefit from a computer, or that computers are too difficult to use.

Other key highlights:

• 10% - Broadband-connected Michigan businesses that need more bandwidth
• $67 - Median monthly cost for broadband for Michigan businesses
• 75% - Broadband adoption in the Michigan manufacturing sector
• Across the state, approximately 164,000 Michigan businesses use broadband for their daily business needs. This includes 63% of small businesses, or approximately 78,000 businesses with fewer than five employees.

Increasing broadband capacity among businesses is just one area that Connect Michigan is focused on. Across the state, Connect Michigan is collaborating with local partners to increase broadband accessibility and use in vulnerable areas.

Connect Michigan has partnered with the Michigan Public Service Commission to create the state’s first broadband inventory maps and engage in a research project to better understand broadband adoption across the state. The project is focused on gathering accurate and reliable data on the broadband market to aid in planning, the creation and facilitation of local technology planning teams, and the establishment of computer ownership and Internet access programs.

The program is funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program (SBDD). Connect Michigan’s broadband mapping efforts are in compliance with NTIA’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the SBDD and will be reflected in the national broadband map set for release on February 17, 2011.

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Related Links:

Nonprofit Helps Fast Internet Reach Rural Leelanau (CBS Detroit)

President Obama Turns to Michigan to Launch National Wireless Initiative

Download: Fact Sheets on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

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About Connect Michigan: As the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state of Michigan, Connect Michigan is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and Connected Nation to unite local governments, businesses, and citizens in the goal of increasing broadband service in the state’s underserved areas. For more information about what Connect Michigan is doing to accelerate technology in Michigan’s communities, visit www.connectmi.org.

About Connected Nation:Connected Nation is the broadband mapping agent in twelve states and territories under the NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development grant program. This work comprises approximately 42 percent of the country’s landmass and encompasses approximately 39.5 million households. Connected Nation is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that expands access to and use of broadband Internet and the related technologies that are enabled when individuals and communities have the opportunity and desire to connect. Connected Nation effectively raises the awareness of the value of broadband and related technologies by developing coalitions of influencers and enablers for improving technology availability and use. Connected Nation works with consumers, community leaders, states, technology providers and foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered around a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. www.connectednation.org.

Connect Ohio Launches YouTube Video PSA Contest

Winners may be selected for upcoming statewide public service announcements, receive an iPad

COLUMBUS – Ohio residents now have a chance to become the stars of an upcoming statewide public service campaign. Connect Ohio, a non-profit public-private partnership, has launched a YouTube video public service announcement contest to gather meaningful stories of Ohioans using broadband technology. The winning video(s) will be 30- or 60-seconds in length and demonstrate the usefulness of the Internet to the daily lives of Ohioans, creative ways people use Internet technology, and how “Life is better with Broadband.” The contest winner(s) will receive an Apple iPad and may be selected to appear in Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online public service announcements.

The Every Citizen Online program offers free basic computer and Internet training to adults in Ohio to introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online. Connect Ohio has partnered with more than 100 libraries and community colleges across the state to offer the training. A statewide public awareness campaign was launched by Connect Ohio in December 2010 and included television, radio, and print mediums. Additional public service announcements will be produced in April 2011.

Contest rules and guidelines can be found at http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/video_contest.php or by e-mailing youtubecontest@connectohio.org. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube.com, and then submitted to Connect Ohio at http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/video_contest.php. Entries are due by March 21, 2011, and winners will be announced in April.

For more information on the Every Citizen Online program, visit http://connectohio.org/consumer_training or call 1-855-NOW-I-CAN (669-42260) to find a local training location.

View Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online televised public service announcements: http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/media.php.

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