Gigabit Nation

Just up the highway from Silicon Valley, the Bay Area’s first gigabit city is transforming a former manufacturing powerhouse into a test bed of technology and other innovations. San Leandro joins Chattanooga and Kansas City with broadband-inspired economic development, government efficiency, education and telemedicine. City Hall, the Police Department, and all City facilities are connected to a 10-gigabit port via Lit San Leandro, which has increased the facilities City Hall bandwidth by 2,500% while lowering monthly Internet access costs;the San Leandro School District connected all the schools to Lit San Leandro over a 10-gig backbone, and modernized all IT infrastructure (including WiFi) to help students have virtually unlimited bandwidth for school projects; anda public private partnership installed of a microgrid on the network in the San Leandro Tech Campus that will be the heart of an ecosystem of small businesses to help area cities meet the demand for advanced renewable energy systems. San Leandro Ch

The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition developed not one but 10 policy proposals to address broadband. Called the “Connecting Anchor Institutions: A Broadband Action Plan”, these documents provide ideas and actionable policy recommendations for government leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to address the broadband needs of anchor institutions. John Windhausen, SHLB Executive Director, explains our audience how these policy directives are part of the organization’s bigger Grow2Gig+: Anchors Advance Communities Campaign. This far-reaching drive hopes to make gigabit speeds the standard for anchor institutions a national priority.   SHLB’s policy actions, combined with grassroots efforts of community stakeholders working in the trenches, create the best broadband adoption solutions that shrink the digital divide.

Digital inclusion – bridging the divide between the technology haves and have-nots. 15% and 30% of our urban citizens are shut out of the digital economy, while that and maybe more in our rural lack Internet access. Input and participation must come from the communities themselves for digital inclusion to work. Executive Vice President Brigitte Daniel at Wilco Electronic Systems, Inc. in Philadelphia and Bruce Montgomery, CEO of Chicago-based Technology Access Television gives listeners some insights to how to execute plans that leverage broadband for personal economic development. This interview tackles several digital inclusion challenges that face community advocates and stakeholders: How do we strengthen ISP competition in urban areasIs there enough broadband infrastructure in Tier 1 and 2 citiesWhat type of assistance bridges the digital divideHow do we build a self-sustaining digital economy low income neighborhoods This is a moral imperative and an economic necessity. 

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently turned down big telecom companies’ efforts to derail the FCC “net-neutrality” rules. It took 14 years of fighting, wrangling, enduring short-term defeats and a certain amount of uncertainty, but led by a former lobbyists the FCC prevailed prevailed in the public interest. But after the sounds of popping champagne corks have faded, we have to ask “What’s next?” Was this a victory over corporate lobbies?Are there any implications for community broadband, specifically muni networks?What does the net neutrality ruling say about public activism?With the threat of incumbents becoming gatekeepers of the Internet removed, what will lobbyists do next?What will/should “We the People” do with our new found freedom? Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge joins us to help sort out these and other questions. Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open Internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works.

One of the fading myths of our time is that large metro areas don’t need a gig, and another myth is that you can’t make a business case for delivering a gig to low-income communities, even if they need it. A wireless ISP (WISP) located in Cleveland, Ohio has been providing homes and businesses there with a gig wirelessly, and is getting ready to extend services to New York City. Ron Deus, CEO of regional WISP NetX, describes his formula for success. It starts with an understanding that a lot of people don’t care what the infrastructure is that delivers their Internet access as long as it is fast, reliable and affordable. Deus also believes technology, including wireless, is rapidly evolving and providers that keep pace with the evolution will have business success. NetX has always treated Cleveland's low-income communities as a market on par with every other market: 1) build them an infrastructure that delivers and 2) give them a variety of service packages suited to their needs, the market will reward you.

People say, “broadband is just like electricity in the 1920s. That’s why electric co-ops were formed, and why they need to build community broadband.” But why not build a co-op specifically for broadband? In Minnesota several communities recently started a broadband co-op. Are more on the way? Chris Mitchell, Director of Community Broadband Networks at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), makes the case that more rural communities need to create broadband co-ops to address the lack of sufficient highspeed Internet access. ILSR and Next Century Cities just released a report that examines Minnesota’s broadband co-op, “RS Fiber: Fertile Fields for New Rural Internet Cooperative.” Mitchell delves into why: The co-op model makes sense for communities;Hybrid wired and wireless infrastructure makes financial sense;Broadband co-ops blends the best of public and private worlds;We should expect more broadband co-op to form.

It could be time for communities to re-think the feasibility study process. They can spend up to $150,000 to complete a study, but are communities really resolving the questions they need to pursue? Some feel that a process with its roots in the 1970s needs an upgrade to keep pace with 21st-Century infrastructure. Richard Frank created custom GIS and other technologies to streamline the engineering-planning and design phase. He feels the typical feasibility study for a public network adds costs and time to address questions already answered, while failing in other areas because “communities don’t know what they don’t know.” Frank explains how to use available data to get many of the answers needed to do appropriate engineering design, better use existing technology assets, use best business practices to plan the network and address the common good. Communities need to understand better the applications and databases that can improve network planning, think more like a business and adopt sound marketing prin

With all the hype about fiber, we sometimes forget wireless still has an important role to play. Fairlawn, Ohio supports over 22,000 people every day in addition to its 7,400 residents, so they had to have guaranteed super-fast, reliable and flexible Internet access. Their infrastructure solution made them one of the highlights of the recent Broadband Communities Summit. Ernie Staten, Dep. Director of Fairlawn’s Public Service Department, and Mitch Drake, Fujitsu Network Communications’ Executive Engagement Leader, throw back some covers and show off best practices that made their network leading edge. Fujitsu is the lead private sector partner in this public-private partnership. Fairlawn set an ambitious agenda to meet a number of goals including: promote commercial and residential growth;stimulate economic development in the City;provide a carrier-grade wireless network;draw in entrepreneurs and high tech ventures; andimprove City services and public safety communications.    

Many people think broadband benefits local governments by making PCs, apps and systems run faster. But what happens when the process of governing accelerates into gig speed? In two months, Next Century Cities expects to find out. At the Broadband Communities Summit, cities were offered a $30,000 prize as a reward for creative thinking on using broadband to tackle local challenges. Next Century Cities announced their “Next Generation Engagement Awards” for three cities (up to $30,000 each) that propose projects or partnerships that enhance government operations. Next Century Cities’ Executive Director Deb Socia and Deputy Director Todd O’Boyle joined us to explain their program and what they hope to achieve. Beside cash, winning communities will also receive hands-on technical assistance from Next Century Cities to implement their plans and peer-to-peer connections with other innovative municipalities. Communities applying will be expected to demonstrate how, in addition to the award funding, they will cont

We are at the point where we have scores of public highspeed networks delivering an array of benefits for businesses and consumers. Kansas City, the original Google Fiber network, weighs in their accomplishments and challenges as they push the gig envelope. Our Gigabit Nation guest is Aaron Deacon, Managing Director of KC Digital Drive, and a panelist on one of the Broadband Communities Summit sessions entitled “What can you do with a gig?” He believes many cities have answered this question with an array of applications and uses for highspeed Internet access, which leads to maybe a better question of "What are we going to do with a gig next?" Deacon delineates the difference between gigabit speed and gigabit capacity, a difference many communities need to understand early in there broadband planning. It’s also important that planners understand how to encourage a “highspeed environment” that enables community networks to transform the delivery of healthcare, energy, city services and more.  (Photo credit:

With this week’s modernization of the FCC’s Lifeline, the impact of libraries in this program is a crucial discussion, though I’m still trying to understand how community broadband can be used in the program. Don Means, Director of the library advocacy group Gigabit Libraries Network, explains how libraries can facilitate broadband planning, financing and the marketing of the networks once they are build. Looking at the public networks that have been built, some communities could have improved the impact of some of these investments if they had utilized the existing network of libraries. Libraries and their staff probably are one of the most under-appreciated and underused resources in the community broadband movement. Libraries reach out and touch virtually everyone in their communities across the entire economic spectrum, they know a lot about planning community projects and quite a few have overseen the buildouts of the fastest broadband infrastructure in their communities. 

Healthcare and medical service delivery are the future killer apps of the community broadband networks. Possibly even than economic development, the potential to use these networks to impact practically every injured, sick and even healthy constituent is mind-boggling. Nizan Friedman, Ph.D., President of Flint Rehabilitation Devices, manufactures and markets technology that helps people affected by strokes, injuries and surgeries progress faster through the rehabilitation process. Internet access is a key element for patients, doctors and rehab specialists that use Flint’s products. Dr. Friedman discusses the various ways in which broadband and telemedicine enables healthcare professionals, caregivers and patients themselves contribute to communities getting and staying healthy. In rural areas in particular, the lack of access to these technologies poses grave dangers, and is a great motivator behind public officials’ and co-ops’ efforts to build community broadband infrastructure.

National Community Development Services (NCDS) leads multimillion-dollar economic development fundraising drives, and the firm is partnering with Craig Settles to bring NCDS’ success to broadband. Both believe that there are more people and organizations than communities realize that are able and willing to financially support broadband deployments to their communities. NCDS President Tom DiFiore presents highlights of the firm’s methodology that has raised over $1.6 billons for 500 communities in 46 states. Mr. Settles consulting expertise, philosophy and thought leadership in broadband strategy dovetails with NDCS in a four-step service that opens broadband funding opportunities as well as helps networks’ long-term financial successes. Many communities let the “lack” of money stymie their broadband dreams. Mr. Settles’ and NCDS’ lead communities through a creation orientation to produce an asset that boosts the economy, increases local government efficiency, improves healthcare delivery and transforms edu

The Obama Administration was deadly serious in September when they called for all Federal hands on deck to meet the challenges of deploying broadband everywhere. The EPA – yes, that EPA – along with the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services is rolling out a pilot program to offer communities broadband strategy planning assistance. Ed Fendley lays out plans for Cool & Connected, the service he heads for the EPA. The program targets communities interested in using broadband to help revitalize small-town promote economic development. Cool & Connected is recruiting experts to assist communities with network buildouts and tactics that enable networks to deliver their promised benefits. In today’s interview, Fendley provides details on eligibility requirements, rules and due dates. Participants also are encouraged to bring partnership to the table. With the heavy focus on helping communities afford the cost of building broadband networks, we sometimes forget about the cost of planning for networks, particularl

In the 1860s, the progressive thinkers of the time felt that giving newly freed people their own land and leading edge technology – in this case, a mule – would jump start the poor on a journey to a better life. 150 years later, we are dealing with similar issues as we try to bridge the economic gap with the leading edge technology of our time – broadband. Will we find our way this time? Colin Rhinesmith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at University of Oklahoma, and Brian Whitacre, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University conducted excessive research on how to get better broadband adoption rates within low-income, seniors and youth populations. They join us to discuss their findings and explore options for getting these populations on board with broadband. Rhinesmith and Whitacre describe one category of people who don’t use broadband as the Un-Adopters, and present why policymakers and federal agencies that fund broadband must d

There is a huge need to put our urban broadband house in order. ConnectHome is the Obama administration’s latest salvo to narrow the gap between the digital have’s and the have not’s, particularly in urban areas. Michael Liimatta, newly appointed Manager of ConnectHome by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, lays out the goals and strategies for the agency in the upcoming months. ConnectHome works with ISPs, non-profits and the private sector to offer broadband access, technical training, digital literacy programs, and devices for residents in assisted housing units in 28 communities across the nation. The media focuses coverage on rural broadband network issues, but there is an equal need in urban areas for improved broadband infrastructure and aggressive broadband adoption activities. Liimatta brings valuable some of the lessons from his broadband adoption experience in Kansas City as co-founder and CEO of Connecting for Good. Our discussion will include suggestions for how communitie

  If there ever was a sign that the floodgates on community broadband have fully opened, it's this Election Day as 46 Colorado communities vote on taking back their right to build public networks. Get election results here on Gigabit Nation's special in 90-minute broadcast. Is this going to be a clean sweep? Ken Fellman, general counsel with the Colorado Communications and Utility Alliance, joins us with summary analysis of how the communities voted and what do these results mean for broadband in the state. Fellman and host Craig Settles also will call on some of the towns and counties to get first-hand observations, and thoughts on how the communities will proceed. Another topic of discussion is the impact that the election results will have on the competitive landscape of the state. The day after last year's election, Comcast announced a statewide increase of their broadband speed. What might incumbents do this year in the face of what is expected to be an unanimous consensus for public broadband by the

[Tech glitch zapped the last 25 min. We're going to have a do-over and record that part again.] There’s a lot going on in broadband in Oregon. Communities such as Sandy are upgrading their infrastructure significantly, or planning their initial networks. Co-op are energized and several of them are planning to launch broadband initiatives. The rural telephone companies are providing creative solutions that are getting communities connected. Joseph Franell, General Manager and CEO of Eastern Oregon Telecom, discusses some of the opportunities and the challenges that communities face here in the state. Gigabit Nation is broadcasting live from the Oregon Connections Telecommunications Conference, which draws statewide attendees to share ideas, experiences and knowledge about telecommunications. Franell and Gigabit Nation host Craig Settles highlight: some of the challenges with bridging the broadband divide in education;addressing the urban/rural divide;what is the "right" model to deploy gigabit networks in r

“We might push a gig, but we have plans to heavily promote 10 Mbps and 20 Mbps services,” states Bob Hance, President and CEO of Midwest Energy Cooperative. He has learned that communities’ diverse needs benefit from flexible approaches to technology. Despite the hype and political pressure to deliver a gig everywhere, co-ops have to be realistic with the technology they invest in because members expect the their management teams to spend customers’ money wisely. Co-ops are finding that flexibility is the watchword when determining broadband tech strategy. Several members of Midwest’s management team met with Gigabit Nation to talk about the team’s various perspectives on the broadband lessons they have learned. For now, being just being connected to faster broadband is members’ biggest reward;As the co-op upgrades to smart grid, businesses and residents are learning they need online energy management capabilities;Some municipalities are hesitant to get onboard with broadband and will wait for co-ops to tak

Are we entering a digital arms race? First Salisbury, NC announces its 10-gigabit network last month. Then Chattanooga announced its 10-gigabit network last week. Should the dozens of communities planning or starting to build gig infrastructure just go ahead and launch 10-gig networks instead? 20 gigs? John Pless, a spokesperson for the public utility (EPB) that operates the Chattanooga network, joins us to discuss this latest broadband infrastructure development. EPB’s10-gig service is available to every home and business in its 600 square mile service area for $299 per month, and comes with free installation, no contracts and no cancellation fees. People have a lot of questions for Chattanooga: How big of a deal is it to move from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabits?What kind of pressure does a 10-gig network put on your competitors?What type of businesses will be enticed by 10-gig nets to move to Chattanooga?  Will medical facilities and professionals in particular find this new super-highspeed capability the reaso