Town Hall Meeting
SEMO RPC Broadband Regional
Technology Planning Team
April 23, 2012
Meeting Agenda
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Introductions
Planning Process Review
Highlights of Critical Findings
Strategic Plan:
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Adoption and Availability Goals & Objectives Overview
Prioritizing Goals & Discussing Objectives
Time Line Development for Objectives
Next Steps
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Recent Broadband Developments
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Updates from Providers and RTPT members
Public Safety updates
FCC Universal Service Funds Update
Connect 2 Compete launched
Missouri’s 2nd Broadband Summit Held
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Planning Process Review
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RTPT Development
Kick-off Meeting -1st Meeting
Needs Assessment
Participation in Broadband Summits
Findings, Review & SWOC Analysis - 2nd Meeting
SWOC Analysis Summary Review and Feedback
Initial Strategic Plan Development
Strategic Plan Review & Town Hall - 3rd Meeting
Strategic Plan Finalization
Strategic Plan Implementation
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HIGHLIGHTS OF NEEDS
ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
FOR THE
SEMO RPC REGION
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Common Themes
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The role of Broadband and its adoption and use in support of
economic development at the regional level is universally seen
as being one of the greatest areas of challenge.
Broadband use to support and grow small business is a top
priority in the Southeast Missouri region.
Increasing digital literacy through outreach, education, and
training. Three critical populations are the K-12 community,
senior citizens and those seeking employment or career
reinvention.
Broadband as it has been deployed to support Libraries and
Education is always going to be a regional strength that should
be leveraged, maintained, and grown.
Common Themes Continued
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Federal mandates are directing broadband infrastructure
development within the Health sector.
Technical support and services for governments, sector groups,
businesses, and other organizations in the community that
cannot afford their own network / broadband staff.
Broadband is critical to the success of key operations of each
Sector.
All Sectors reported problems created by the lack of broadband
availability and adoption with particular attention to rural areas.
Divergent Themes
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Lack of training and development opportunities based on sector and the
constituencies each serves. Rural libraries, rural economic development, K-12
schools without broadband availability.
Real-time high-speed access: Healthcare –provision of diagnostics and
specialty care, as well as home health care. Agriculture –access to critical
market and weather information; Businesses—access to workforce
development and redundant networks to exchange data with national and
satellite offices.
Portable, mobile, remote access to the internet is critical to sectors such as:
Agriculture, Tourism, and Energy as well as those dealing with rural services
(Social, Professional, and Community).
Particular lack of availability in rural areas of the region.
Adoption Findings
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Broadband has been, or is being, adopted for critical operations by every
sector profiled.
The use of broadband only fully facilitates service provision within any given
sector when it is present throughout the service provision chain.
While a number of sector respondents report sufficient broadband now, all see
a variety of enhancements needed in the future to increase the nature, amount,
and type of adoption.
Where broadband is available and affordable but has not been adopted it is
primarily due to the following:
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Lack of computer ownership;
Lack of uniform, dependable of connections;
Digital literacy relevancy / value gap;
Lack of knowledgeable technical staff or services for hire
Broadband facilitated applications are compromised by the download speeds
provided by just meeting minimum broadband standards.
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Additional training and instruction is needed.
Availability Findings
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Significant lack of access in rural areas, even those just outside of population
centers.
Lack of broadband availability in critical portions of the “broadband chain” were
noted by a number of sectors. For example,
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Economic Development—lost businesses because no broadband available
Professional Services –at remote job sites; lack of redundant connections
Healthcare –end user locations disables the provision of tele-health and other on-line
medical services and monitoring devices.
Higher Education –at remote sites and faculty, employee and student home locations.
K-12 Education - creates similar problems to Higher Education, plus communications with
parents who don’t have access at home. Dependent on local libraries for partnering
Libraries –at patrons’ home locations creates a high demand for library broadband access,
which places greater demand on their broadband technology, connections, services, and
applications.
Local Government –residential access limits the provision of on-line services
Tourism –at destination locations
Small Business / Entrepreneur –at home inhibits the ability to remotely access systems.
Workforce Development –in remote areas creates problems for those that should take
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advantage of career centers, because of travel costs.
(p.13)
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Broadband Service Providers
Broadband Providers
Website Information
WildBlue Communications, Inc.
http://www.wildblue.com/
AT&T Communications of Texas, Inc.
http://www.att.com/
AT&T Mobility, LLC.
http://www.att.com/
Big River Telephone Company, LLC
https://www.bigrivertelephone.com/Default.aspx
Cellco Partnership
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/index.html
CenturyTel, Inc.
http://www.centurylink.com/?pid=p_80745140
Charter Communications
http://www.charter.com/Visitors/Home.aspx
Hughes Communications, Inc.
http://www.hughes.com/Pages/Default.aspx
My Choice Networks LLC
mychoicenetworks.com
Sprint Nextel Corporation
http://sprint.com
Steelville Telephone Exchange, Inc.
http://www.steelvilletelephone.com/
StarBand Communications, Inc.
http://www.starband.com/index.html
United States Cellular Corporation
http://www.uscellular.com/uscellular/
Deutsche Telekom AG
http://www.telekom.com/dtag/cms/content/dt/en/6908
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(p.14)
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(p.15)
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(p.15)
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Attachment 9
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BROADBAND ADOPTION
AND AVAILABILITY
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
OVERVIEW
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Adoption Goal: Device Ownership
Objectives:
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Expand computer reclamation and redistribution /
repurposing efforts
Develop and implement a mechanism to provide
low-cost tablet computers
Ensure access to all those within the region that
desire computers but don’t have them
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Adoption Goals : Device Ownership
Possible Action Items:
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Inventory existing institutions, businesses, schools and programs that could
possible play a role in refurbishment of donated computers.
Develop list of potential funding sources and mechanisms
Outreach to homes, businesses and institutions
Establish recycling location(s)
Develop an application process & begin distribution
Measure progress on an annual basis, revise procedures and processes as
necessary.
Begin and expand the program to procure and develop an inventory of
tablet computers
Revise the application process to determine the best distribution of tablets
versus other computing devices
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Adoption Goals: Literacy
Objectives:
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Tie computer refurbishing program to digital
literacy program
Continue and heighten outreach campaigns
Enhance existing and develop new digital literacy
programs
Sustain the level of outreach needed to maintain
the highest possible (95%+) perceived value of:
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computers,
Internet, and broadband
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Adoption Goals: Literacy
Possible Action Items:
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Modify Statewide template for local outreach plan
Establish a list and inventory educational/training partners.
Implement the outreach plan through partnering with those that currently
educate and train in this area.
Look for new partners (business, healthcare, industry, community
services, etc.) that would find benefit in outreach to its workforce or client
base.
Develop list of potential funding sources and mechanisms
Evaluate both literacy outreach efforts and expanded training efforts.
Structure plans to enhance and expand existing programs.
Adjust these programs to better target outreach.
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Adoption Goals: Affordability
Objectives:
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Expand public computing centers and creation of
new locations
Explore regional educational facilities with
computer labs and high-speed internet
connections for after-hours programs
Develop and expand a low-cost, basic broadband
access throughout the region
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Examples nationwide
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Adoption Goals: Affordability
Potential Action Items:
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For Public Access Computer Centers
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Inventory and evaluate existing centers for expansion
Determine items needed for expansion (hardware /
software, personnel support, space, etc.)
Seek partners / grants for development of new centers
Begin and continue to expand existing centers
Determine hardware/software, etc. needed for
development of new centers
Develop and continue to expand new centers
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Adoption Goals: Affordability
Potential Action Items:
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For After-Hours Access Computer Centers
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Inventory existing institutions, schools and programs
that could possible play a role in an after-hours
community program
Inventory community to understand interest
Develop list of potential funding sources and
mechanisms
Develop an MOU for agreement & begin program
Measure use and progress on an annual basis, revise
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procedures and processes as necessary.
Adoption Goals: Affordability
Potential Action Items:
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For Basic, Low Cost Broadband Access
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Work with providers to determine how to implement
low cost access
Determine parameters needed (Free / Reduced Lunch)
Develop list of potential funding sources and
mechanisms
Implement initial basic access in targeted locations
Expand initial offering throughout the region
Continue basic service provision if needed to maintain
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broadband adoption levels
Availability Goals: 95% Availability
Objectives:
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Work with providers to design initiatives to expand
broadband to target areas (i.e. there is currently only
dial-up or satellite availability)
Explore assets (i.e. water towers) that could be used to
expand availability
Gain understanding of state and local government
rules and regulations as applied to broadband
development
Leverage activities at Community Anchor Institutions
Begin to implement the targeted design initiatives
discussed and agreed upon
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Availability Goals: 95% Availability
Potential Action Items:
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Host meeting with all regional providers to explore
initiatives / projects / plans to expand broadband
Inventory of publicly or privately owned towers and taller
objects that could be used to expand availability
Inventory state and local government planning, zoning,
rights-of-way, or construction rules and regulations
Inventory of Community Anchor Institutions
Inventory middle-mile, POPs, and DIAs
Develop list of potential funding sources and mechanisms
Develop and execute public/private partnerships
Implement the targeted design initiatives discussed and
agreed upon
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Availability Goals: Expand Capacity
Objectives:
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Design capacity expansions where they are most
feasible: Target areas that Speed is lagging (not capable of
supporting 3Mbps down /1.5 Mbps up)
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Expand choice “competition”
Expand technologies that were not available to
certain segments of the population or region
Continue capacity expansion efforts so that everyone
in the region has access to up to 100 Mbps for
residential and up to 1 Gbps for community anchor
institutions and businesses, including access to
multiple technologies and multiple providers
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Availability Goals: Expand Capacity
Potential Action Items:
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Working with provider community identify:
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Where plans are already on the drawing board,
Where it requires only swap-outs of equipment,
Possibly missed high ‘density’ areas
Areas that need higher speeds, redundancy and competitive
services
Identify areas where Speed is lagging (not capable of
supporting 3Mbps down /1.5 Mbps up).
Identify obstacles and impasses within the region to pass
forward to the State to champion / facilitate these
pursuits that could possible lead to positive change that 32
can spur growth
PRORITIZATION OF GOALS
FOR INCREASING BROADBAND
ADOPTION AND AVAILABILITY
IN THE SEMO RPC REGION
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Timeline for Meeting Key Objectives
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Each objective is provided for consideration by the
RTPT members during their review and placement
into the plan as:
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Short-term (can be achieved within the first 18
months of the Strategic Plan’s implementation),
Intermediate-term (3-5 Years after Plan
implementation), and
Long-term (6+ Years after Plan implementation).
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PRIORITIZATION
&
TIMELINE
SUMMARY and DISCUSSION
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Next Steps
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Finalize Strategic Plan
Begin implementation activities according to the timeline and
the benchmarks to be achieved
Identify obstacles and impasses within the region to pass
forward to the State to champion / facilitate these pursuits that
could possible lead to positive change that can spur growth
Participation in the 3rd Broadband Summit in the Fall of 2012
Six (6) month review by the end of 2012
Annual review thereafter until all benchmarks are achieved
Updating the Plan as needed
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Connect with the State at
MOBroadbandNow
http://mobroadbandnow.com/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
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Thank You
for your
participation in the
SEMO RPC
Broadband
Planning Efforts
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