regional support for broadband

Regional Support for Broadband

National Association of Regional Councils Annual Conference

Eric Frederick, AICP, LEED APVice President for Community Affairs

517-994-8024 : [email protected]

Salt Lake City, Utah : June 2016

mailto:[email protected]

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ContextConnected Nation, non-profit dedicated to expanding broadband access, adoption, and use. Core competencies include:• Community Engagement and Planning• Research & Analysis• Policy Consultation•Mapping/GIS•Digital Literacy

By the Numbers:• 10 state-based broadband public-private partnerships, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, impacting 876 counties• 1,200+ unique broadband provider relationships in data collection and processing• Broadband availability mapping across 37% of the U.S. landmass and 27.6 million households • 170 communities actively engaged in local technology planning activities

AccessThe physical connection

to high-speed infrastructure

AdoptionRecognizing the value of

broadband and subscribing either at

home, work, or via public institutions

UseSkills and applications to leverage technology to

improve quality of life and community/economic

development

www.connectmycommunity.org : www.connectednation.org

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Broadband Defined• More commonly referred to as

high-speed internet access• Any kind of connection other than

dial-up• Several platforms:

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 201605

1015202530

768Kbps

4Mbps10Mbps

25MbpsBroadband Download Speed Definition History

– Cable– Digital subscriber line

(DSL)– Fiber-optic– Fixed wireless– Mobile wireless– Satellite


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Infrastructure Issues

The increasing speed gap in rural and fringe urban/ suburban areas is occurring nationally, creating entire regions without adequate infrastructure

3 Mbps 10 Mbps 25 Mbps


Adoption & Use IssuesResidential Technology Adoption and Use

Computer Ownership

Home Broadband

Mobile Broadband

Children Use Internet for Schoolwork

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

85%77%

62%72%

79%64%

48%63%

Urban Ruralwww.connectmycommunity.org : www.connectednation.org

Adoption & Use IssuesHousehold Barriers to Adoption and Use

Broadband Not Available

Lack of Skills

No Computer

Cost

Lack of Relevance

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%5%

12%

12%

20%

35%

11%

11%

10%

19%

32%

Rural Urbanwww.connectmycommunity.org : www.connectednation.org

Adoption & Use IssuesBusiness Technology Adoption and Use

Use Comput-

ers

Use Broadband

Use Mobile Have a Website

Online Sales0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

90%83%

50%

68%

42%

83%71%

38%49%

34%

Urban Rural

Effecting Change - Broadband Planning Framework

Many communities have experienced…

• Recession w/o recovery

• Job loss• Attrition• Disinvestment• Apathy• Overall decline

Broadband and technology provide new means of…

• Education• Economic activity• Healthcare• Government

service delivery• Workforce

development

Strategic planning, investment, and improvements in tech…

• Access• Adoption• Use• In these areas…

Which then support…

• Stabilization• Sustainability• Maintenance• Metered growth• Transformation• Which combats

and prevents…

Lead to..

• Leadership development

• Family and youth retention

• Civic engagement• Local human

capital development


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Connected Community Engagement Program

• Multi-sector community broadband planning team

• Community Technology AdvisorsENGAGE

• Identify local assets and current projects

• Assess local broadband access, adoption, and use

ASSESS

• Collaborate to develop a technology action plan, framed by the NBP PLAN

• Build awareness locally via events & media

• Promote status via certificationPROMOTE

Empowering Local, Collaborative, and Data-Driven Technology Planning to Inform Intelligent, Digital

Development



• Is our infrastructure adequate?

• Are we addressing barriers to broadband adoption?

• Are we pursuing meaningful application of broadband?

USE

Agriculture

Econ. Dev.

Talent/ Work-force

Govern-ment

Health-care

Higher Ed.

K-12 Ed.

Libra-ries

Public Safety

Tourism

ADOPTIONDigital

LiteracyPublic

ComputersHome

Adoption Affordability Freq. of Use

ACCESSAvailability Speed Competition

Platform Depen-dency

Middle Mile Mobile



Ogemaw County, MI - Rural area of central Michigan - Trouble getting rural areas connected - County economic development corporation undertaking project to locate and map vertical assets in rural areas as a means to expand wireless internet - Looking to catalog agricultural assets including elevators, silos, water towers, etc.

Washtenaw and Jackson Cos., MI - Rural townships and neighborhoods struggled with high demand, but no infrastructure expansion - Formed a non-profit organization to work to expand broadband access - 92% of those surveyed wanted more choices - Want to construct fiber network and lease to a carrier for operation

Harbor Springs, MI (HarborActive) - Rural, dispersed, and often seasonal population - Wants to improve the digital literacy of the community - Developed their own training program to train groups of all types on the latest technology including social media, tablets, website development, etc. - Wine and Web (most popular)

West Central, MI - Rural area with a need to expand economic development - Instead of focusing on attracting new businesses, programs aimed at retaining, growing, and sustaining those already in the community - MichiganWorks office conducting training programs to get more businesses online with social media and websites


• Widen the Discussion: Cross-sectoral teams/groups/initiatives are the most impactful when addressing local broadband issues.

• Plan for More: Demand for bandwidth and changing definitions perpetuate the digital divide. Plan for and invest in more than you need.

• Collaboration vs. Competition: Us vs. them mentality prevents communication and innovative solutions.

• Don’t Forget Adoption: While pipes are important, don’t forget that just because it’s there doesn’t mean it’s being used in meaningful ways to improve quality of life.

• Identify Best Practices: Talk to your neighbors, find regional/ national interest groups to identify solutions that could work for you.

• Celebrate Success: Announce and build awareness for success, no matter their scale, as well as future initiatives in front of the entire community.

• Establish Partnerships: Better broadband is achieved together not a thing to go and get. Open dialog can lead to mutual benefit.

Lessons Learned
