Harbor Area Broadband Team Joins New Technology Enhancement Program

HARBOR Inc. teams up with Connect Michigan in a plan for building a technology-ready community

Harbor Springs, MI – HARBOR Inc.’s Broadband Team has joined forces with Connect Michigan by enrolling in the Connected community certification program, an initiative that offers a comprehensive way to bridge the digital divide impacting many communities including the Harbor Springs area by building community partnerships to assess broadband access, adoption, and use issues in the area. HARBOR Inc.’s high-speed Internet committee, at work since 2007, is now a Broadband Team working to provide connectivity to area homes and businesses.

“Broadband access is a crucial component of economic development,” said HARBOR Inc. Executive Director Rachel Smolinski. “The Connected community certification program will facilitate the building of a comprehensive action plan for developing a technology-ready community by reviewing the technology landscape, developing regional partnerships, working with our Broadband Team, and conducting community assessments.”

Connect Michigan is the designated entity for broadband mapping and planning in the state and is a public-private partnership between the Michigan Public Service Commission and Connected Nation to help provide high-speed Internet to underserved areas like Harbor Springs.

“We look forward to working with HARBOR Inc. on these efforts,” said Jan Kellogg, economic specialist, Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. “Northern Michigan has to have fast, reliable, and affordable broadband in order to stay competitive.”

The HARBOR Inc. Broadband Team is working to discuss options and plans to include additional area partners to work together on providing Internet to the underserved areas. HARBOR Inc. also will participate in the Connect Michigan Community engagement program, which guides communities through an assessment of their overall broadband and technology progression.

“Northern Michigan is a beautiful place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Eric Frederick, program manager for Connect Michigan. “Quaint towns, abundant natural resources, and friendly neighbors attract residents to northern Michigan and broadband enables them to stay by supporting entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and connecting with resources across the globe.”

“We have a great deal of work to do and by partnering with Connect Michigan, we believe we can find solutions that will provide broadband to our area,” said Smolinski.

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Connect Minnesota Releases New Broadband Availability Report

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ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Connect Minnesota released an assessment of broadband availability in Minnesota in a report titled, Broadband Availability in Minnesota: Measuring Progress.

This report, which is available online, outlines the statewide results of a broadband inventory with the aim of sparking stakeholder discussions on key policy goals and strategies to expand and enhance the broadband opportunities for all Minnesota residents.
Key findings from this report:

• Broadband is available to 97.08% of Minnesota households, leaving 61,000 Minnesota households unable to connect to high-speed Internet.
• 81.2% of Minnesota households can access broadband at advertised speeds of 6 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload, meaning that 392,000 households are in areas that may be eligible for Universal Service Fund broadband deployment subsidies.
• 57.4% of Minnesota households can access broadband at speeds of at least 10 Mbps download/6 Mbps upload – the minimum speed threshold for Minnesota’s goal of ubiquitous broadband availability. This means that across the state, approximately 889,000 households are not connected to services that meet the state’s target.
• 93.75% of rural households in Minnesota have access to broadband.
• 84.19% of Minnesota households have the ability to choose broadband service from two or more non-mobile broadband providers.

Note: The data in this report are subject to data validation.

A key difference in this report from past availability releases is that the estimates were created with the new 2010 Census data, which showed an increase of over 190,000 households in Minnesota. In addition, much of the availability data released today includes a minimum upload speed threshold of 1.5 Mbps, whereas other releases utilized 200 kbps upload speeds.

In August 2011, Governor Mark Dayton signed an Executive Order that established the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and reiterated the state’s goal of ensuring that all residents and businesses have access to broadband at download speeds of at least 10-20 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 5-10 Mbps.

To help the state measure its progress toward these goals, Connect Minnesota has partnered with the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and the Minnesota Department of Commerce to collect and validate broadband availability data statewide. As directed by the Governor’s Executive Order, the Task Force will be submitting its first report by December 31, 2011 and will include key elements of the availability data.

“Access to, together with adoption and utilization of high-speed broadband are key elements for Minnesota’s economic growth in the next decade. The data in this report—as with our other research—will allow the Governor’s Broadband Task Force and all stakeholders to have benchmarks upon which to build effective policy recommendations,” said Bill Hoffman, Program Manager for Connect Minnesota. “Clearly we have moved forward thanks to providers, communities and broadband proponents; but we still have work to do to meet the goals set by the Minnesota Legislature.”

In May of 2010, Connect Minnesota produced an initial map of broadband availability to identify served and unserved areas across the state. Since the initial map’s release, Connect Minnesota has collected and released new data every six months, with updates in October 2010, April 2011, and October 2011.

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Lyon County Joins Innovative Broadband Expansion Effort

Leaders enlist in Nevada’s Connected program to bridge technology gap, boost economy, and quality of life

YERINGTON, NV – Lyon County leaders are taking a new step toward job growth and better quality of life in west central Nevada. The region has now been enrolled in an innovative program that is designed to increase access, adoption, and use of broadband internet access.

Staff from Connect Nevada, the statewide nonprofit promoting broadband expansion, led Lyon County leaders through the steps of the new “Connected” community certification program that offers a comprehensive and localized way for communities to bridge the digital divide.

The most current Connect Nevada research shows that businesses with broadband average $100,000 more in annual median revenues than businesses without. Currently, 97% of Lyon County has terrestrial broadband service available at speeds of 768 Kbps or above. Only 70% have 3 Mbps download speed service available. While the vast majority of households in the state have broadband available, approximately one-fifth of the population still does not use it at home.

“I was impressed with the idea of bandwidth expansion from Las Vegas through Silver Springs and Stagecoach to Carson City,” said Kari Larson, the general manager for the Silver Springs-Stagecoach Hospital District. “With electronic medical records, job search capabilities, and enhanced communications, it's crucial that all generations have the opportunity to participate in advanced technologies. As the Lyon County point-person toward the certification process with Connect Nevada, I hope that this area will receive recommendations and funding that benefits all local residents.”

The Connected certification program entails building a comprehensive action plan for developing a technology-ready community by reviewing the technology landscape, developing regional partnerships, establishing local teams, and conducting thorough community assessments.

“Connect Nevada is very excited to be in Lyon County, as we partner with the Lyon County School District, which has been tirelessly working on opening five computing centers for residents,” said Lindsey Niedzielski, Connect Nevada’ State Program Manager. “We believe their efforts along with the formation of a local planning team is going to make enormous strides at chipping away at Lyon County’s staggering unemployment rate, the highest in Nevada.”

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Gillespie County Joins Innovative Broadband Expansion Effort

Leaders enlist in the Texas ‘Connected’ program to bridge technology gap, boost economy, and quality of life

GILLESPIE COUNTY, TX  - Gillespie County leaders are now the first in the state to enroll their community in an innovative program that seeks to boost the local economy and quality of life for residents though increased access, adoption, and use of broadband.

Staff from Connected Texas, the statewide nonprofit promoting broadband expansion, are leading Gillespie County leaders through the steps of the new “Connected” community certification program that offers a comprehensive and localized way for communities to bridge the digital divide impacting many communities.

The most current Connected Texas research shows that only 63% of Gillespie County has terrestrial broadband service available at the minimum federal speed of 768 Kbps or above. And for those who have service available, only 48% have adopted the service. That contrasts sharply with the fact that Texas businesses with broadband average $200,000 more in annual median revenues than businesses without. But, a major step forward in closing the digital divide came when officials decided to enroll in the Connected community certification program though Connected Texas.

“One of my pet projects has been and continues to be better high-speed Internet for rural Gillespie County,” said County Economic Development Director Tim Lehmberg. “Topographical considerations leave many of us with only one option which is very limiting and can be extremely frustrating, so it didn’t take much arm-twisting to get me involved in the Connected Texas initiative.”

“Having and using the broadband Internet is critical to the economic vitality of today's local communities,” said Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley. “We are excited Gillespie County economic development and local leaders are working with us to proactively address their broadband needs.”

The Connected certification program entails building a comprehensive action plan for developing a technology-ready community by reviewing the technology landscape, developing regional partnerships, establishing local teams, and conducting thorough community assessments.

“Gillespie County is home to many people who have the means to be living anywhere in the world,” said Lehmberg. “These folks continue to run businesses and manage investments from their homes in the county with unacceptable Internet. If collecting and furnishing data for this program will formally demonstrate a need for broadband expansion in our county, then that’s a good first step.”

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ConnectKentucky, AT&T Foundation Donate Computers to Area Organizations

Four nonprofits serve vulnerable populations

FRANKLIN--Four Frankfort Kentucky area organizations serving children or disadvantaged individuals or families got an early holiday treat recently with the donation of five refurbished computers from ConnectKentucky through a grant from the AT&T Foundation.

The Franklin County organizations receiving the computers are PUSH Early Childhood Development Center, Franklin County Women’s Shelter, Franklin–Anderson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Simon House.

“AT&T is honored to partner with ConnectKentucky to ensure that all Kentucky children and their families have the opportunity to develop the critical skills they need to be successful,” said AT&T Kentucky President Mary Pat Regan. “These students will one day be the leaders of our Commonwealth so investing in their future is the right thing to do.”

Each of the nonprofits received one computer except Simon House, which received two.

“The current residents in the Simon House are either pursuing college, or are in college or have some college education. The more computer skills they can obtain, the better their chances for employment opportunities,” said Simon House Executive Director Pamela McCalla. “Currently, six families share one computer and the residents have access during working hours to another computer. When the donated computer no longer worked, we were grateful for the call from ConnectKentucky offering us two refurbished computers. The children in the house don’t feel out of sync with their peers by having access to a computer in the house. It helps maintain a stable environment for the families going through temporary transition.”

“Connecting people is what we are all about,” said ConnectKentucky Executive Director Rene' True. “Thanks to the generosity of the AT&T Foundation, we were able to help some organizations that serve countless families and individuals here in the Commonwealth.”

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Michigan CBC Continues the Work of Leveraging Technology as a Platform for Innovation

Lansing, MI - The Michigan Collaborative Broadband Committee (CBC) is set for another informative meeting on December 15.

The CBC is a group of representatives from K-12 education, higher education, broadband service providers, non-profits, tourism, business, agriculture, government, and other organizations that have an interest in improving Michigan’s broadband availability and encouraging meaningful adoption.

In June, Connect Michigan, in partnership with the Michigan Public Service Commission, convened the first CBC meeting with a mission to maximize Michigan’s opportunity for using broadband as a platform for technological modernization through transformational solutions.

Since that time, there have been some exciting developments in the state as three communities have engaged Connect Michigan’s innovative new technology development program.

Committees from Clare County, Barry County, and the Harbor Springs region have all joined the Connected community certification program, an initiative that facilitates the building of comprehensive action plans for developing technology-ready communities by reviewing the technology landscape, developing regional partnerships, establishing local teams, and conducting thorough community assessments.

At the upcoming CBC meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from eight guest presenters who will discuss broadband and technology-related projects and programs from across the state including:

• Shared Services – Opportunities and Updates: Jessica Moy – Department of Technology Management and Budget
• Rural Utilities Service Telecommunications Programs: Ron Mellon – United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service
• Michigan Benefits Access Initiative: Nancy Lindman – Michigan Association of United Ways
• Michigan Virtual University: Julie Swartz and students from Maple Valley High School, Vermontville, Michigan, and Jay Bennett from the Michigan Virtual University
• Center for Community and Economic Development: John Melcher, Michigan State University
• Utilizing School Technology for Positive Community Impact: Tom Richardson, Van Buren County ISD
• Michigan State University Gig.U Initiative and Other Projects: Tremaine Phillips and Steve Webster, Prima Civitas Foundation
• Exploring Broadband and Economic Development in Michigan: Tyler Borowy, Land Policy Institute at Michigan State University

“Everyone on the CBC works every day to expand the access, adoption, and use of broadband technology throughout the state. The holiday season is a perfect time to take an important step back and listen to others and be reminded of how that work impacts the lives of Michigan students, families, communities, and other organizations,” said Eric Frederick, program manager for Connect Michigan. “We are excited for the new year and the new opportunities it brings to expand broadband in Michigan.”

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Connected Texas to Host State’s First Broadband Summit June 5-7 at TIA 2012: Inside the Network

First Annual Event to Address Job Creation, Innovation, Expanding Broadband in Rural Areas of the State

AUSTIN, TX ‑ Connected Texas will bring together key stakeholders from across the state for its first annual Broadband Summit Tuesday, June 5, in Dallas as part of the TIA 2012: Inside the Network event. The summit will focus on spurring technology jobs, innovation, and closing the broadband gap in rural Texas.

The Broadband Summit will kick off the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) annual Conference and Exhibition, TIA 2012: Inside the Network – June 5-7 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas.

“Texas is the right place to host a hallmark gathering like TIA 2012 and this year we are proud to join forces to hold Connected Texas’ first Broadband Summit where we will focus on keeping Texas at the forefront of technology adoption and connectivity,” said Connected Texas Executive Director Don Shirley. “The summit is an opportunity to bring influencers and partners from both the public and private sectors together to further our plans for increased broadband access, adoption and use across the state.”

“As the leading Information and Communications Technology industry group in the United States, TIA actively supports efforts to bridge the ‘digital divide’ in our country,” said TIA President Grant Seiffert. “Our technology supplier members welcome the role of Connected Nation in finding new models and partnerships that bring the benefits of broadband connectivity and services to all sectors of our society. TIA 2012 offers the perfect venue for developing new business opportunities aimed at delivering these benefits.”

The Broadband Summit will bring together leaders spanning the state and sectors such as government, telecom, business, tribal, healthcare, and education to focus on strategies for increasing access in the state’s rural areas and growing digital literacy among vulnerable communities. Connected Texas research shows that less than half – 48 percent – of the state’s rural residents subscribe to broadband, cutting them off from the economic, educational, and quality of life opportunities available through a broadband connection.

More details about the summit will be released as it approaches.

In addition to the Connected Texas Broadband Summit, TIA 2012: Inside the Network, will also host a Connected Nation workshop on public-private partnerships bridging broadband access and adoption gaps. TIA 2012 is the one event focused on the people, products and companies driving innovation and optimization of the network. More information on TIA 2012 is available at tia2012.org.

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