Broadband Capacity and
Planning Issues
Charles R. McClure, PhD, Director
Florida State University, Information Institute, and
Francis Eppes Professor of Information Studies
LITA Panel Presentation at ALA Annual Conference
June 26, 2010
Broadband Capacity Planning and
Assessment
Recent Information Institute activities:
•Funded projects
– Broadband needs assessment, benchmarking, and diagnostics in anchor
institutions in North Florida (for a Wave I BTOP-funded project), 2010 – Statewide (Florida) evaluation of public library broadband needs, capacity,
services (http://ii.fsu.edu/Research/Projects/All/Projects-from-2009-to1999/2009-Project-Details)
– Data from the Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study
(http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2009_2010/index.cfm) 2010
(annual)
•Publications
– Hinnant, C. C., McClure, C. R., Mandel, L. H., & Alemanne, N. D. (2010).
Broadband deployment as technological innovation: Assessing needs of anchor
institutions. Proceedings of the iSchools iConference 2010, 102-108. Available
at: http://nora.lis.uiuc.edu/images/iConferences/2010papers_Allen-Ortiz.pdf
– Mandel, L. H., Bishop, B. W., McClure, C. R., Bertot, J. C., & Jaeger, P. T. (2010).
Broadband for public libraries: Importance, issues, and research needs.
Government Information Quarterly, 27(3), 280-291. Available at:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2010.02.004
Why You Need to Plan for
Broadband Capacity
• How many public access workstations are
“enough”? And how many can you support?
• What high-speed broadband connection speeds are
“enough” to meet demand?
• What new broadband services like interactive high
resolution video will you provide in the future?
• Will you need to renovate your building to
accommodate better broadband capacity?
• How does your local political context affect
broadband use and deployment?
• What other situational factors will affect your
broadband use and deployment?
Assessing Broadband
Bandwidth and Services
1. Inventory and Describe Existing
Information Technology Infrastructure
and Network Configuration
2. Determine Use,
Adequacy, and Quality of
Existing Broadband, IT,
and Network
3. Obtain
External
Broadband
Assessment
Assistance?
4. Assess Broadband, IT,
and Network Adequacy
9. Assessment of Broadband
Services Provision and IT/
Network Deployment
4a.
Adequate
8. Broadband, Information
Technology, and Network
Deployment
7. Library Objectives/strategies
for Broadband, Information
Technology, and Network
Deployment
6. Select Library Internet
Broadband Service Roles
Appropriate to Meet Those Needs
4b.
Inadequate
4c. Excess
Capacity
5. Future Community Broadband
Services Needs and Demands
Adopted from: Charles R. McClure and Paul T. Jaeger (2009). Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles: Measuring and Maximizing Internet
Services. Chicago: American Library Association.
Lessons Learned
• Public libraries need to conduct broadband
assessment at individual outlet level
– Factors to consider:
• Current and future user needs/demands for
broadband services
• Current and future library broadband capacity
• Speed tests at front door and workstation
[www.speakeasy.net]
• Internal library network deployment/configuration
models and strategies
• Options for ISP contracts, costs, services
agreements
• Broadband “load” varies throughout the day, and
• IT staff knowledge and skills
Network Configuration Examples
1.
2.
County or
City
×
×
×
×
×
× × ×
City
Network
Library
Library
Branch
6,7,8,…
Branch 7,8,…
Branch 2
Branch 6
Branch
6,7,8,…
Library
Network
Internet
Service
Provider
Branch 1
Branch 2
Branch 2
Internet
Service
Provider
Branch 1
Library
Branch 1
3.
Library
Network
Regional
Library
Branch 5
Branch 3
Branch 4
Branch 5
Branch 3
Branch 3
Branch 4
Workstations
Wireless
Branch
5
Branch 4
Workstations
Admin
Wireless
Admin
Other
Other
Workstations
Admin
Wireless
Other
Estimating Broadband Speed at
the Workstation
Basic Configuration
Complex Configuration
T3 (4.5 Mps)
10 Mps
Library
Library
Library
Network
8 regional
libraries and
total of 34
branch or other
outlets
Branch
5
Branch 1
Branch 2
Branch
4
Each Outlet
Branch 3
Workstations
12
Workstations
2 Wireless
Routers
Admin
Other
Nature of applications/use at each
workstation from email to interactive
high resolution video conferencing
Wireless
Routers
Admin
Nature of applications/use at each
workstation from email to interactive
high resolution video conferencing
Other
After the Needs Assessment
• Ok – you’ve done the needs assessment,
talked to IT Staff, Now what?
– Talk to your ISP and other vendors
– Make sure you’re not losing bandwidth
between the front door and workstations
– Propose future broadband service costs
demands, and needs
– Design new network configuration and
deployment
– Continue monitoring broadband connections,
use, demand, speeds, network, and services
Broadband on the National Stage
• Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) and the National Broadband Plan
(http://download.broadband.gov/plan/nationalbroadband-plan.pdf)
– Includes recommendations ABOUT libraries
– FCC recommendation to IMLS (Rec 9.3):
• Develop national public access technology
guidelines based on population served,
organization size, or other criteria
• Ask Congress for additional broadband funding
Parting Shots
• High speed broadband connectivity and
deployment will only become MORE
complex in the future
• Expect continued demands for broadband
to outpace library capacity and response
• New models for broadband access, use,
resource sharing, and deployment are
needed (WiMax, cloud computing, etc.)
• Librarian broadband skill sets and
knowledge must increase
Additional Resources
Bertot, J. C., McClure, C. R., Wright, C. B., Jensen, E., &
Thomas, S. (2008). Public libraries and the Internet 2009:
Study results and findings. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State
University, College of Communication & Information,
Information Use Management & Policy Institute. Retrieved
from http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet_reports.cfm
McClure, C. R., &Jaeger, P. T. (2009) Public Libraries and
Internet Service Roles. Chicago: American Library
Association.
McClure, C. R., Ryan, J., Mandel, L. H., Snead, J. T., &
Bishop, B. W. (2009). Needs assessment of Florida public
library E-government and emergency/disaster management
broadband services. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State
University, College of Communication & Information,
Information Use Management & Policy Institute. Retrieved
from http://ii.fsu.edu/content/download/18354/118602
Additional Resources (Cont’d)
An action plan for America: Using technology and
innovation for address our nation’s critical challenges.
The Benton Foundation, 2008.
http://www.benton.org/initiatives/broadband_benefits/acti
on_plan
A plan to extend super-fast broadband connections to all
Americans. John Windhausen, 2009.
http://www.tcf.org/list.asp?type=PB&pubid=678
Connecting America: The national broadband plan. Federal
Communications Commission, 2010. Retrieved from
http://download.broadband.gov/plan/national-broadbandplan.pdf
American Library Association Washington Office.
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/telecom/index.cfm
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration. http://www.broadbandusa.gov/
Questions or Comments?
Charles R. McClure, PhD
Francis Eppes Professor and Director,
Information Institute
cmcclure@lis.fsu.edu