Lacking broadband infrastructure in N.C. - Moore County

Darlene Yudell of Moore County shares her story about the challenges of life without broadband at a public meeting about poor Internet access in North Carolina.

Now Boarding: In-flight Wi-Fi

This week, USA Today reported that Delta Airlines is now offering in-flight Wi-Fi on flights between Regan National, LaGuardia, and Logan airports. The service, called Gogo, is provided by Aircell. Gogo works by connecting a plane’s Wi-Fi hot spot to the ground over a 3 MHz signal that links to Aircell’s network of 92 cell towers across the United States. Passengers traveling with Wi-Fi enabled devices can have access to the service for a nominal fee ($9.95 for flights lasting three hours or less, and $12.95 for trips exceeding three hours). And speed? Well, Aircell’s Web site doesn’t mention specific download/upload figures, but users say the service performs well.

Delta’s decision to upgrade its in-flight service menu follows that of competitors. American Airlines launched its Gogo service a few months ago—with power outlets at every seat in business and first class. Coach passengers get one outlet for every two rows. No privacy filters to shield your laptop screen from prying eyes though. You’re on your own there.

In-flight connectivity is, of course, not new. Boeing actually came to market with its Connexion service in 2004, when the product was offered on international carriers like Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. Unfortunately, the company’s bulky 400-pound system didn’t find wide appeal among domestic airlines, so Connexion was discontinued in 2006. But that was two years ago…

Aircell’s system is light-weight at just 125 pounds, and the company cites easy installation and expert client support as selling points. And then there’s the potential revenue boost. These days, many passengers travel with an electronic device, and airlines are guessing that while those folks are munching on their honey-roasted peanuts, they’ll also want to e-mail, surf, chat, and shop. If their hunch is right, demands for VoIP won’t be far off.

Lacking broadband infrastructure in N.C. - Alamance County

Jean Apple of Alamance County shares her story about the challenges of life without broadband (particularly in her experience with AT&T) at a public meeting about poor Internet access in North Carolina.

Paging the Economy! Can We Get Some Stimulation Please?

It is impossible to watch the news these days without hearing stories on the economic recession and how it is impacting the country. As the recession continues, national and state leaders are examining a variety of ingredients in some far-off economic stimulus packages – all wondering if any of them will help to stir the economy. Early on, there was talk of a possible focus on physical infrastructure – investing in improved roads, airports and schools for the country – creating jobs through the implementation of these projects, simultaneously improving the backbone of the country. But FINALLY, the idea of increasing broadband infrastructure became part of the discussion.
Last weekend, in a radio address, Pres.-elect Obama pledged rollout of a massive public works program as part of his economic stimulus plan, including a renewal of the country’s information superhighway. While some have said that physical infrastructure projects take too much time to show results, others say the recession is deep enough that we have plenty of reason to invest for the long term. If we are moving toward an infrastructure-focused plan, it seems that broadband, our gateway to 21st century competitiveness, should be the key component.

Edward Glaeser’s recent column in the New York Times talks about the challenge of not losing focus on human capital in the mix of all the public infrastructure projects, especially when considering the unskilled workers. And really, broadband is A LOT more than just physical infrastructure. It is more so a tool that allows citizens and communities to reach their full capacity by enabling them to be connected to each other. A global conversation, if you will. But reaching those left behind will require not only infrastructure, but also training and education that will help unskilled workers reap the benefits of this tool.

This plan holds lots of potential promise for those interested in a national broadband strategy, but there is much left to be defined. It will be interesting to see how a massive broadband deployment program would be rolled out. From the FCC? From individual states? From some yet-unnamed entity? Broadband is not currently considered a public utility. Traditional public works programs are defined by the government investing in government-owned infrastructure. So if that’s the case moving forward, who will own this valuable infrastructure? If the funding goes to private service providers, what will be the criteria for deployment? How do we ensure competition between the providers, and what areas will be targeted? These questions are just some of the complicated issues to be sorted out in the country’s economic stimulus plan. At the e-NC Authority, we will be watching with great interest to see how it unfolds.

Where for Art Though, oh Wi-Fi Hot Spot?

Are you planning to travel somewhere, and do you anticipate needing access to the Internet during that time? Most hotel properties now have Internet access for their guests, but many tend to charge an additional fee for this service. However, if you need to get on the Internet where wired service isn’t available, there are numerous options that provide this access on a wireless network called Wi-Fi.

Most of North Carolina’s public libraries have this service, so they are listed in the following links. But plenty of others are – consider the myriad coffee shops and McDonalds that now serve as community Wi-Fi hot spots, often at no cost.

Here are two sources to preview before you venture out into the land of “what-if-there-isn’t-connectivity.”

http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/

http://www.jiwire.com/browse-hotspot-all-united-states-us-north-carolina-nc-28.htm

These can be used as a resource for finding wireless access points around the world and here at home. As for North Carolina, there are over 1,800 hot spot locations listed on the first site, and around 1,700 listed on the second site.

A Wi-Fi hot spot is defined as any location in which 802.11 (wireless) technology exists and is also made available for use by consumers. In some cases, the wireless access is free, but many locales have charges for this service. But as ever, buyer (or user) beware. Enhanced security measures should always be used to protect your credentials, passwords and data during wireless Internet sessions.

Broadband Policy and Obama: What to Expect

The votes are in; now the work begins. What can we expect in terms of how broadband Internet will infuse and define the platforms, programs, policies of President-elect Obama’s first administration? How can we get involved? Fortunately, the answers to these questions can be found online where Obama is already on the record as supporting universal broadband access and its use in support of education, health care, business development and civic engagement in government at all levels. The following excerpts from various sources capture and highlight what we might expect from his administration related to broadband.

Some of Obama’s sector-specific goals for broadband include…

Business Development:
Obama recognizes the role that technology and broadband Internet needs play in business development.

Health Care:
A key feature of Obama’s plan to lower health care costs is the proposal to invest $10 billion each year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic information technology systems. This includes use of electronic health records to better coordinate care, measure quality and reduce medical errors.

Public Safety:
Obama is committed to improving the use of ICT to support public safety and improve response to emergencies and natural disasters. Critical to this is investment in the development and deployment of new technologies to promote interoperability, broadband access and more effective communications between public safety responders and their network systems.

Education:
Obama will push for funding to bring broadband access into all K-12 schools as a minimum technology operating platform.

Civic Engagement:
Building on the most technology-intensive campaign ever, the Obama administration envisions continued and expanded use of the Internet to encourage civic engagement.

Speed DOES matter

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) have been strong supporters of universal Internet access in the United States. These last two years, they have taken that message online, especially in an effort to try to demonstrate what the true picture is of the speeds that people have to deal with across our land.

According to the CWA, between May 2007 and May 2008, over 230,000 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have found their Web site to take the Internet speed test and to measure how fast their computers can upload and download data. Unfortunately, the results show how far the United States lags other countries in speeds. And that’s not good…

But why should we care? Speed matters because it defines the applications that you can effectively run on the Internet from your home, business, government or institution. The United States – the very country that invented the Internet – have now fallen to a world rank of 15th in the percent of the population subscribing to broadband. This is according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey (OECD). Canada, France, and South Korea all have faster Internet connections. In Japan you can download an entire movie or educational course in two minutes, but it could take you two hours or more in the United States. And that’s if you’re lucky. And as for cost? Citizens in Japan often pay the same as we do and sometimes lower for their Internet connections of profoundly faster speed.

Take the CWA’s speed test and test your computer access and download speeds. Last year, the United States had a median download speed of 2.35 Mbps. North Carolina had a median download speed of 2.93 Mbps. On page 40 of the CWA August 2008 Speed Matters Report, you can find the page for North Carolina. Our median upload speed is 369 kbps. So in that regard, our ranking among the states is 11th, up from 16th in 2007.

Is the Internet Immune to an Economic Downturn?

Our economy has been on a real rollercoaster ride this year. Most every day brings new stories of bank failures. Stock market troubles. Mortgages gone wild. Fluctuating oil prices. The National Debt that even the famous Times Square “counter” can’t keep up with. And then there’s the $700 billion bailout (ahem…rescue plan). Add to this volatile mix, pundits consulting their crystal balls, comparing our current economic crisis to the Great Depression, and telling us the obvious – that the institutions we’ve traditionally trusted have failed us. Our domestic woes are now impacting the world and, oh by the way, we might be in a recession. Bad news withstanding, the Internet seems to be thriving. And no wonder…

According to a May 2008 survey by Pew, 73 percent of American adults are Internet users. And in this age of Google, iTunes, eBay and cars.com, users are spending money, and lots of it. Forrester Research shows online sales, excluding travel, reached $175 billion in 2007. And Forrester expects the figure to hit $204 billion this year, despite the economic slump.

Online content consumption is also on the rise. In June 2008, Cisco reported global Internet traffic will grow at a compound annual rate of 46 percent from 2007 to 2012. And the company believes Internet videos will account for 50 percent of consumer traffic in 2012.

But, back to the question of whether the Internet is immune to an economic downturn. The Internet is certainly well-insulated because of high demand for its offerings and affordable delivery. Likewise, its worldwide audience, innovation-friendly environment, and seemingly unlimited expansion potential offer some additional warm-and-fuzzy buffers. On the other hand, though, Internet content and usage is influenced by our needs and wants, and our relationship to the prevailing economy shapes those needs and wants. So, can there really be a definitive yes or no answer to the question? What do you think?

Is e-rate working for North Carolina schools and libraries?

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded the obligation of telecommunications providers to allow discounted services to the nation's schools and libraries. This initiative became known as the e-rate (Education Rate) program, administered by the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company. The e-rate program funds technology discounts to K-12 schools, and amounts nationally to approximately $2.5 billion each year.

All libraries and K-12 schools are eligible for discounts at a minimum of 20 percent and up to a maximum of 90 percent, based on the school’s participation in the National School Lunch Program. Applicants are also required to have a state-approved technology plan before they can receive discounted services through e-rate.

But even with the help of e-rate funds, many schools and libraries struggle to pay for vital telecommunications services. So to help, the N.C. General Assembly in 2007 funded a $12 million initiative to pay the balance (amount not covered by e-rate) of the cost to connect schools. In the 2008 session, legislators stepped up again to grant an additional $10 million.

North Carolina is in the process of upgrading services to Local Education Agencies (LEA) and to each of the associated schools with adequate bandwidth to support their needs. The majority of North Carolina’s schools and LEAs are operating at 100 Mbps but many are connected at speeds far slower than this. The installation will be complete this year with the exception of the schools still under independent contract for this service, and even those will be converted at the end of their next contract.

With funding from the e-rate program, the N.C. General Assembly and Golden LEAF, each school will have resources to participate in programs like Virtual School, Learn and Earn and distance education through interactive video.

This program has greatly enhanced educational capabilities of participating schools by allowing high-speed connections not only to the Internet, but also to state’s computing systems. So to answer our own question – YES – the program seems to be working…

Fight Night: The Internet vs. Newspapers

If the Internet were a boxer, it would be the heavyweight champion of the world; taking its rightful place alongside boxing legends like Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis. In this same context, newspapers would represent an aging, near-retirement opponent, lying dazed on the mat with a cut over its left eye, hoping for a second wind.

So, what happened to newspapers, a once-formidable contender? Well, it’s complicated. But for starters, while newspapers were training 10 hours a day and mixing together pulpy, old-school protein powders, promoters for the Internet were out scouting for new talent and taking notice of a shift in journalism. The Internet honed in on this weak spot and came out swinging. And newspapers are still reeling…

The Numbers Tell the Story
Newspapers just aren’t packing them in like they used to. A survey by Scarborough Research for Journalism.com shows that in 2005, 38 percent of 18-24 year olds were reading newspapers in an average week. By 2007, that figure dropped to 33 percent.

In contrast, the Internet is attracting fans. Princeton Survey Research Associates International conducted a survey for The Pew Internet & American Life Project that illustrates this point. Survey participants age 18 and older were asked “Did you happen to use the Internet yesterday?” In January 2005, 58 percent said yes. By October-December 2007, 72 were in the affirmative. That’s a big jump.

The Blog Jab
Citizen journalism has gained in popularity and is challenging the way we define “news.” Search engine Technorati currently tracks around 112 million blogs and estimates another 175,000 are created every day. From notable blogs like the Daily Yonder to voyeuristic TMZ and Perez Hilton, bloggers deliver timely content, often beating traditional news outlets to the punch.

The Ad Hook
In March 2008, the New York Times reported that newspaper advertising fell 7.9 percent last year. Advertising used to be a mainstay of the industry, but ad dollars follow eyeballs and these days, millions of those eyeballs are glued to the Internet – therefore making Yahoo!, Google and Craig's List the new go-to companies for advertisers.

The Broadband Uppercut
The speed and agility of broadband has changed expectations about information delivery, and given people power to shape their news experience by quickly gleaning stories from multiple sources. Broadband also makes it easier to collaborate online, building on the concept of creating communities through shared experiences, which is one of the Internet’s greatest strengths.

The Final Punch
The Internet seems poised to deliver the deciding blow, but newspapers aren’t going to disappear tomorrow. Having survived radio and television, they can withstand the Internet. Many papers already boast a respectable online presence, and some of the best writers still call the newsroom home. The medium’s success rests with its ability to use what it has. And in this competitive Web 2.0 climate, it also must become a stronger advocate for universal broadband and net neutrality. Beyond that, time is on the industry’s side, so there’s still a chance to mend whatever may be broken.

Thinking differently (externally) about innovation

The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center’s annual Rural Partners Forum is coming up in early October and the topic this year is INNOVATION. And we’re sure that they’ll present a slew of different ways in which innovation touches our state’s rural economies, but is there a vehicle for innovation more radical than the Internet?

While most companies still cling to the invention model that centers on internally-generated ideas and intellectual property, other companies are beginning to adopt a fundamentally different way of thinking about how to develop new products and processes. They understand that the Internet is fueling the transition to an open model of innovation that is driven by greater access to talent, risk-taking entrepreneurship and capital – wherever in the world it is found.

In 2000, Proctor and Gamble (P&G) realized that their return on increasingly expensive research and development (R&D) investments was inadequate. Studying their process for innovation, they estimated that each of their internally-employed researchers had at least 200 talented peers worldwide with skill sets that that P&G could potentially use. So P&G decided to fundamentally change their view of R&D to now include not only the 7,500 people inside the firm, but also 1.5 million scientists and engineers outside the company. The Internet made this possible by providing those new connections. The results more than support the wisdom of that decision – to adopt an open innovation policy. The company reported in 2006 that R&D productivity is up almost 60 percent, and 45 percent of products in development having key elements from external sources. Their innovation success rate has doubled, the cost of innovation has decreased, and perhaps the most telling of all – the price of a share of P&G stock has doubled.

Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical giant headquartered in Indiana, has also used the Internet to dramatically change their innovation model. Eli Lilly created and spun-off Innocentive, a Web-based service firm that posts client’s scientific problems and offers cash for accepted solutions, maintaining the anonymity of all involved. This approach allows firms of all sizes to efficiently use the Internet to leverage their access to a critical and scarce R&D resource – talented human capital. It was found that for the 166 problems solved through Innocentive, the further the problem was from the solver’s expertise, the more likely he or she was to solve it. Non-experts in one field solved problems in another field by thinking differently. The results reinforce the value of the Internet as a boundary-eliminating connection that can serve to enrich blockbuster innovations.

The application of the Internet to spurring innovation is not limited to R&D enterprises. Netflix, a mail-order and Web-based entertainment service recently offered a $1 million award for an algorithm that would improve efficiency of one of its existing internal systems by at least 10 percent. They drew over 15,000 entrants from 126 countries, and the leading solution came from Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Hurricane season is here - do you have a communications plan?

Tropical Storm Fay is the first storm of the season to even flirt with the idea of dumping some weather on North Carolina. With everything that Florida and the Gulf have suffered through for the last few years, you have to wonder if in the give-and-take of Atlantic Hurricane Seasons, it is the Carolinas' "turn" to get it.

So - since we've had a relatively long stretch of hurricane-free years - the forthcoming (potential) arrival of Fay makes us think about emergency communication plans. Stocking up. Boarding up. Heading out of dodge, if need be.

The Home Safety Council recently reported that only 30 percent of households have discussed and created an emergency communications plan - specifically outlining how families would stay connected in the case of a major weather or disaster event. And this topic is so intimately tied to technology these days because of our collective dependence on linkage with each other though mediums like Internet access and cell/mobile coverage. It may sound like a stretch, but this is a truly great example of how Internet connectivity has infiltrated every portion of modern society.

Who Understands All This Technical Stuff Anyway?

Well, the quick answer may be – not many people. It seems somewhat scary for local, state and national leaders to be making policy decisions on technologies that they may not fully understand. If we want to deploy more broadband (and deploy it in areas that may not have the normal market-driven forces at work), it seems that it would be helpful to have more technical resources available to decision-makers who are trying to understand broadband issues.

Last month, Geoff Daly of App-Rising.com spoke at the annual conference for the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners on wireless broadband. In his speech, he points out some of the pros and cons of wireless broadband – in a way that is easy to understand. What areas will it be most useful in (ex. mobility-driven applications)? What are the drawbacks (lack of standardized technologies)?

Daly’s goal was to educate the regulatory commissioners gathered together there from all around the country. We won’t try to spell out his entire speech here, but we recommend reading it. He even points out what he sees as a technical problem in a wireless plan around libraries, suggested one of the FCC commissioners. And that makes us wonder – where do these national leaders go for technical advice? Of course, the FCC commissioners have dedicated staff but what about all the utilities commissioners and state-level leaders? There are a multitude of technical issues surrounding broadband deployment, and you don’t have to look far to also see the volume of complex regulatory and legislative requirements around varying technologies.

At the e-NC Authority, we get lots of calls from local leaders and state leaders who are trying to sort out these questions. They most often ask about deploying wireless service and/or developing fiber networks. We do provide technical advice to local and state leaders in North Carolina, but only as much as is possible with our small staff and limited financial resources. And there are some other groups which do this as well, such as the Center for Public Technology at UNC-Chapel Hill, which offers training for government IT professionals.

But there still seems to be a lack of technical assistance available to those who need it most – those who may be trying to decide where to invest millions of dollars allocated for a community network, or those state legislators who are trying to decide how to write a particular piece of legislation. There are always industry professionals and vendors to provide consulting but can you get objective advice from a vendor?

In any case, until we have enough public entities willing to invest in technical staff members that really understand broadband technologies, or in policy staffers that really understand the policy side, we just have to hope that leaders and interested citizens are taking the time to read Daly’s columns and the thousands of other blogs, presentations and in-depth papers that examine these issues.

Coastal N.C. - are you gettin' the signal?

Wakey, wakey! The switch to digital television for several coastal communities in North Carolina is less than 40 days away! I know we’ve written about it before but every little reminder helps.

Beginning at noon on Sept. 8, 2008, Wilmington-area stations WWAY (ABC), WSFX-TV (FOX), WECT (NBC),WILM-LP (CBS) and W51CW (Trinity Broadcasting) will broadcast only digital signals to their viewers in New Hanover, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus and Pender counties. The rest of the nation will make the switch on Feb. 17, 2009. The transition will affect those who watch free television from an over-the-air signal (through a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears”). If you watch television from an over-the-air, or analog, signal, you must buy an analog-to-digital converter box, buy a digital television OR subscribe to a paid television service.

Analog-to-digital converter boxes are in stores and have a one-time cost of $40-70. To help you pay for the boxes, the U.S. government is offering two $40 coupons per household. For more information on the coupons, visit www.dtv2009.gov, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY). Plus, you should not need a new antenna if you get good quality reception on analog channels 2-51 with your existing antenna.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has staff available to educate people about the switch. In Brunswick County, you may contact Jessica Przybyla at (202) 418-2721. Additionally, FCC staff will be at the following local events and locations to answer questions about the digital television transition and sign-up area residents for the converter box coupon.

Saturday, Aug. 2 – 5 -10 p.m.
Leland Under the Lights Classic Car Show, Wal-Mart parking lot, Leland

Monday, Aug. 4 – 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Leland WIC Center, 1492 Village Road N.E., Leland

Monday, Aug. 4 – 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Brunswick Community College, Main Campus, Bolivia

Tuesday, Aug. 5 – 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Brunswick County Health Department, 25 Courthouse Drive, Bolivia

Wednesday, Aug. 6 – 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Shallotte WIC Center, Sunward Office Building, 117 Holden Beach Road, Shallotte

Economy in the pooper = Internet subscriptions expendable?

We have wondered when or if the lagging economy would translate into fewer new Internet subscription requests (or rather, people electing to terminate that service). With gas and food prices what they are, times are tight and many people are having to think more strategically about what expenses are truly necessary. It’s definitely a tough call. Imagine being a small business and trying to make that decision? Or the parent of a high school-aged student?

An article in Telephony Online this week pointed out that AT&T cited a decline in home-based wire line Internet subscriptions when discussing its third-quarter earnings. AT&T Chief Financial Officer Rick Lindner mentions that the lost customers are “indicating they are not going to a competitor” and that many of these lost subscribers are trying to save costs by using their work/office-based Internet services instead of having that availability at home.

As Ed Gibbons from Telephony Online points out, “If these people have office Internet connections, they likely don’t have blue collars; they’re not bus drivers or waiters. They’re white-collar workers who would rather fill up their gas tanks than their phone lines. The irony, of course, is that if they were able to keep their broadband connections and work from home, they would likely reap much larger savings by not buying the gas needed to drive to and from work each day.”

As others have pointed out, stressful or uncertain economic times tend to quickly illustrate the value (or lack thereof) that consumers place on any given product – gas, disposable diapers, new sneakers, name-brand macaroni-and-cheese, to name a few. This draws into question something that contradicts much of the e-NC Authority’s cause…the profound economic value of broadband connectivity.

Universal broadband throw-down: McCain vs. Obama

The Washington Post has put together a healthy resource site for readers to examine the 2008 presidential campaign candidates for their position on various issues. In looking at this recently, it was made clear what a stark difference there is between Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama when it comes to looking at universal broadband as an economic driver. Did we mention it was a stark difference?

When each candidate was asked to name "the three most important things [they would do] to promote economic growth and prosperity," Sen. Obama noted universal broadband deployment, but the words "broadband" and "Internet" are completely missing from Sen. McCain's response. Now, Sen. McCain's answer to the question is longer than Sen. Obama's, but Sen. McCain only mentions the role of technology in economic stimulation after a short break (included in the text below). Both are worthy candidates and we certainly won't make a political recommendation here - but the differences between candidates when it comes to universal broadband access is worth pointing out.

Here's how it went down...

Q:
WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WOULD DO TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY?

SEN. OBAMA'S RESPONSE:
First, I will make strategic, long-term investments into American infrastructure to create more high-wage jobs. I will expand federal funding for basic research, make the tax credit for research and development permanent, and expand the deployment of broadband technology, so that businesses can invest in innovation and create high-paying, secure jobs. And I will make investments in education, training, and workforce development so that Americans can leverage our strengths -- our ingenuity and entrepreneurialism -- to create new high-wage jobs and prosper in a world economy. Second, I will fight against trade agreements that undermine American competitiveness and use trade as a tool to grow American jobs. I will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Third, I will promote digital inclusion. Getting broadband Internet access into every home and business in urban America at an affordable rate could give low-income people increased opportunities to start businesses and engage actively in our communities.

SEN. McCAIN'S RESPONSE:
I am committed to pursuing a pro-growth economic agenda. First, we must minimize the burden of the federal government on entrepreneurs and the private sector by keeping spending under control and taxes low. We should keep income taxes low by making the tax cuts permanent, thus eliminating the threat of a crippling tax increase in 2011, by repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax, and also by making it more difficult for Congress to raise taxes by requiring a three-fifths, super-majority vote in order to pass a tax increase. But low taxes work best when accompanied by low spending. To limit spending, we must eliminate pork-barrel spending and reform entitlement programs. Opening markets for American goods and services is indispensable to our future prosperity. We can compete with anyone. American leadership on trade is critical to a vibrant world economy and to ensure access to new markets which will benefit our businesses, workers, farmers, and ranchers. Ninety-five percent of the world's customers are outside our borders, so it makes sense to try to reach more of them with our products and services by concluding more trade agreements tied to vigorous enforcement. Over the past fifty years, efforts to reduce global barriers to trade have raised U.S. incomes by $1 trillion every year - a $3,500 'trade refund' for every man, woman, and child in the United States. We also benefit from direct investment in our nation. Americans do not shy away from the challenge of competition: they welcome it. Because of that, we attract foreign investment from across the world. Trade has also contributed to our low unemployment and inflation rates. But the benefits we enjoy today can easily be gone tomorrow if governments travel the road of protectionism to failure. We must stand firmly against such economic isolationism today to ensure America's prosperity tomorrow. America has succeeded because we've more willing to embrace and encourage economic change more than most of our competitors. *break* Additionally, a strong tech industry is critical to our continued prosperity. Maintaining our tech edge requires robust basic research, a highly skilled workforce, and a healthy investment climate. We must support our tech industry with smart policies that make basic research a priority, improve our schools to produce graduates with strong math and science skills, make our immigration system friendlier to the world's tech innovators, and make our tax system and patent laws innovation friendly.

North Carolina leadership in interactive video

North Carolina’s First Interactive Video to Universities: 1984
MCNC (known then as the Microelectronic Center of North Carolina) began a network known as CONCERT to carry courses in the sciences out from UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State, Duke and Wake Forest to other universities and employees at high-tech companies. The CONCERT name was changed to NCREN in 1992. And with the advent of the N.C. Information Highway, all of its constituent institutions were added to this network. University courses were carried over both CONCERT and NCREN to spread the offering of scarce courses to universities, institutions and organizations that were otherwise unable to provide a very diverse set of courses. For example, Appalachian State University and the UNC-Asheville could not offer a diverse enough set of courses for majoring in something like, say, the German language. Resources from Appalachian State University and UNC-Asheville banded together to enable a German degree by using NCREN.

Originally, CONCERT used microwave towers and then moved predominantly to leased, fiber-based infrastructure and services for NCREN. The MCNC network was full motion, two-way interactive (and high quality) video for distance education, video conferencing and telemedicine. It also carried very high-speed data for research purposes among the university campuses in North Carolina.

North Carolina’s First Interactive Video Over Fiber to Schools: 1994
It took almost 10 years from the first interactive video to spread across North Carolina – a full motion, two-way interactive video at 45 Mb, delivered over an ATM Sonet fiber network here in North Carolina (piloted in Wilmington and Charlotte as Vision Carolina), and then named the N.C. Information Highway. It first offered services in August 1994 to deliver courses to high schools and community colleges. That network was built by telecommunication carriers in North Carolina – then known as Sprint, BellSouth and GTE – as well as telephone cooperatives and independent telephone companies. These carriers are known today as Embarq, AT&T and Verizon. The state paid for video services in the same way it would pay for telephone services (it did not own this network; the private sector and nonprofit telephone cooperatives did).

Initially, the network carried video to more than 70 high schools, enabling them to offer many science and technology courses that would not otherwise be available. Other courses were subsequently developed so that schools could receive language courses and advanced placement (AP) courses that were not taught in these schools because of lack of certified teachers. Shortly thereafter, 21 of North Carolina’s 50 community colleges also joined the network. Again, scarce resources were utilized across the system to spread educational content from one corner of the state to another.

The N.C. General Assembly was a leader and pioneer in funding the N.C. Information Highway. And private sector companies – be they wireline carriers, independent wireline carriers or telephone cooperatives – joined in this public-private partnership to deploy this first fiber-switched broadband ATM network in the world.

And here’s the kicker – it was the largest network of its kind in the world at that time. Right here in North Carolina. Can you believe that?

Such an awful shame that now the state and nation have fallen so far behind…

Move Over Vista

“Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to you door.” So said Emerson. And that seems to be the mantra at Microsoft. The company debuted its latest work-in-progress, Windows 7, at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital Conference (D6) in May. There was, I’m sure, a global sigh of relief. Many of us had been holding our collective breath in anticipation of Vista revisited, which we feared might produce a gangly operating system with a set of steroid-enhanced service packs. But, apparently, the techno Gods have spoken and there will be no Vista, Jr. At least not for now. (Let us pause a moment and give thanks.) Okay, time’s up. Let’s talk about Windows 7.

At this stage, Microsoft is being uncharacteristically low-key when discussing the platform. There’s been no talk of grand marketing plans or beta release schedules. However, the D6 Conference allowed the company to drop a few hints (very few) about what we can expect when Windows 7 appears in stores late 2009 or early 2010.

“Multi-touch” was the buzzword. Microsoft has long been at work on multi-touch technologies. In 2007, the company unveiled Surface, an interactive digital table computer aimed at hotels, casinos, restaurants, etc. More recently, a multi-touch office whiteboard called TouchWall has garnered attention. Windows 7 appears to build on the Surface and TouchWall projects, and it also incorporates supporting technologies from N-trig and Tyco Electronics to create multi-touch features for laptops and PCs. Such touch screen technologies (think Apple’s iPhone) will give our fingertips the capacity to open applications, move and resize images, rotate a globe, navigate maps, draw, and play a virtual piano. If you’ve got a moment, click here to see Microsoft’s six-minute demonstration. Pressed for time? Click here for a two-minute version of the demonstration. Nice, huh? But don’t throw your mouse out just yet, okay?

Beyond the touch screen wonders showcased at D6, other Windows 7 details have emerged from talks and interviews with Microsoft executives. In a recent interview with cnetNews.com, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president, Windows and Windows Live Engineering, indicated that we can look forward to fewer compatibility challenges, so drivers and software that work on Vista should work with Windows 7. And Sinofsky signaled that Windows 7 will be available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. We can also expect a leaner kernel, according to Microsoft engineer Eric Traut. Speaking on the topic of virtualization at the University of Illinois in October 2007, Traut described work that has been done to refine the kernel architecture. The resulting microkernel, known internally as MinWin, will likely be the basis for forthcoming products. For Windows 7, this could translate into a smaller OS memory footprint, better security, and increased system speed. To illustrate this concept, Traut showed a rendering of MinWin consisting of 100 files, which took up 25 Mb of disk space and ran in 40 Mb of RAM. Just an ever so tiny glimpse of the future. And for now that’s all we know about Vista’s successor.

Up next, developers can get a peek under the hood of Windows 7 at the 2008 Microsoft Professional Developers Conference, which takes place October 27-30 in Los Angeles. Scheduled Windows 7 sessions include: “Touch Computing,” “Web Services in Native Code,” “Graphic Advances,” and a decidedly eco-friendly offering – “Optimizing for Energy Efficiency and Battery Life.”

Hmmm…could Windows 7 possibly have a green alter ego? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

A Crescendo of a Video

We recently wrapped production of the video below, intended as a general piece that would promote the value of broadband deployment as an economic fixture in North Carolina (and by extension, the nation as a whole). It is a unique visual style and we are thrilled with the results. Moving forward, we are sure to find plenty of opportunities to use this at community meetings, legislative briefings and the myriad occasions in which we are asked to provide remarks and data at large presentations and events. Hope you like it...

Is the Internet a mixed blessing?

At the e-NC Authority, we speak of the Internet as being transformative because we have witnessed individuals, organizations and communities up-close. We have seen first-hand the transformation that the Internet can create within educational resources, applications and market access. Access to training, the capacity to recruit 21st century industries, global markets for local goods and crafts, extended and reconnected social contacts – the Internet is delivering all of this and more to citizens and businesses all over the globe. So the Internet must be a good thing, right?

Well once in a while, articles come along that stop us abruptly in our full-steam-ahead cheerleading for this technology and cause us to ponder otherwise. The most recent issue of the journal Atlantic (July-August 2008) is labeled “The Ideas Issue” as its focus is on ideas that are changing the way we live and work. The cover graphic poses the question “Is Google Making Us Stoopid? What the Internet is doing to Our Brains,” which is the title of this issue’s focal article by Nicholas Carr. The intriguing, and possibly troubling, premise of Carr’s article is that the Internet has been “tinkering with (our) brains, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory.” In short, changing the way we think.

Carr refers to media theorist Marshall McLuhan, who pointed out in the 1960s that media are not just “passive channels of information…they also shape the process of thought.” Carr states that the Internet is “chipping away at (his) capacity for concentration and contemplation.” He suggest that our minds are changing – altering physically – as the norm for information intake becomes a jet of accelerated particles skipping around our neural nodes. The act of reading is the example he uses to drive home his point. His idea is that while we may actually be reading more than we ever have before, on average, due to the ubiquity of text on the Internet and text messaging on cell phone, it is a different type of reading that requires a different type of thinking. Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist at Tufts University is quoted as saying, “We are not only what we read; we are how we read.” She worries that while the Internet may promote efficiency and immediacy, it may also be weakening our ability to fully engage and make deep intuitive connections with the information we are processing. Wolf goes on to cite research that demonstrates that readers of ideograms, such as the Chinese, have a different neural circuitry for reading than do readers of Western languages. The expectation is that the circuits woven by our use of the Internet will be different from that woven by our reading of books and other printed words.

Like Carr and others he quotes, we are noticing a diminution of ability to focus on long pieces of writing. We scan the pages more, squirm, doze off in our chairs, and all too frequently add another book or magazine to the pile of things intend to “get back to.” Carr’s article has injected a new explanation for this impatience – the idea that our brains just aren’t what they used to be.

"Broadband Revolution" - white paper release in D.C.

Our trip to Washington, D.C. was fantastic and the white paper we released was tremendously well-received at the event sponsored by the New America Foundation. Over 150 people attended the event – legislative staffers, FCC Commissioners, political consultants, industry folks and journalists a’plenty. The video below chronicles the entire event but here are the speakers in order, along with the hour:minute:second mark where their remarks appear in the video. This’ll help you to scroll through each to find what you might be most interested in listening in on…

Also – click here to find download-able copies of the white paper’s full report and its executive summary.

- Moderator: Michael Calabrese, New America Foundation (0:00:00)
- Remarks: FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps (0:05:20)
- Remarks: FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein (0:19:30)
- Report author: Jim Baller, Baller Herbst Law Group (0:43:35)
- Partner: Jane Smith Patterson, The e-NC Authority (1:01:15)
- Partner: Diana G. Oblinger, EDUCAUSE (1:15:50)
- Partner: Stan Fendley, Corning, Inc. & Fiber-to-the-Home Council (1:24:50)
- Q&A (1:31:10)

e-NC and the City

The office has been all a’flutter over the last few weeks because we have been preparing for a trip to Washington D.C. on Monday (June 23). It’s not that we are normally a’flutter over a trip to the capital; this time it’s for a particularly special occasion.

Several months ago, in conjunction with our governing board, we began to realize the need for a new piece of research. We needed something concise but powerful – a report that would compile the overwhelming facts and data to support the demand for increased broadband deployment not only in North Carolina, but throughout the entire nation.

The report was commissioned to Jim Baller of Baller Herbst Law Group in Washington, D.C. and is titled Bigger Vision, Bolder Action, Brighter Future: Capturing the Promise of Broadband for North Carolina and America. Basically, it outlines the benefits of broadband and the status of current deployment efforts while also looking at how much bandwidth capacity will be needed in the future. A major emphasis of the report is the need for a national broadband strategy. Strong arguments are made within the report for increased broadband deployment in the U.S. and more action on the part of telecommunications companies and community officials.

The report also includes a series of recommendations to the e-NC Authority and the state of North Carolina. The general ideas expressed in the report’s final recommendations are as follows:

• Push to make North Carolina one of the top five states in broadband adoption and use;
• Participate in a national broadband strategy;
• Work with local citizens and leaders around the state to gather input on how to move the state forward;
• Continue the e-NC Authority’s connectivity programs, but push for higher speeds than just DSL and cable modem service;
• Seek legislative authority for data collection from the providers;
• Encourage proactive policies to promote build-out by service providers; and
• Encourage localities to consider broadband initiatives as an option, along with all other options.

As the report was being finished, we were flattered to receive an offer by the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. to sponsor an event announcement to release the paper.

Want to come?

Keep your eyes on our Web site after 12 p.m. on Monday - electronic files of the full report and the executive summary will be posted at that time.

Infrastructure is infrastructure, is infrastructure. Right?

It has been interesting to see the changing perception of high-speed or broadband Internet in the legislature over the past few years. When the Rural Internet Access Authority (the organization that preceded the e-NC Authority) began operations in 2001, it’s fair to say that not many legislators were tuned in to the importance of this new infrastructure. But over the past eight years, the legislature’s understanding of the need for high-speed Internet services has grown. And a lot of this has to do with how much they have heard from their constituents.

Citizens and state leaders are beginning to more fully realize the growing benefits of broadband for economic development, lifetime education, health care, public safety, homeland security, telework and environmental sustainability, to name a few. Unfortunately, we still lack an easy answer for the citizens and businesses in rural North Carolina that do not have access to a broadband connection. They live in sparsely populated areas; there is little to no business case for the providers to deploy the needed infrastructure there.

But as more leaders come on board to solve this problem, we believe more solutions will be found. So far, there is no magic technology cheap enough to deploy in sparsely populated areas that would deliver true broadband. And we can’t expect the service providers to shoulder the cost all on their own – they are businesses after all. So really, the question is a policy issue, and a critical one for us at the state and national level. Maybe it cannot be solved at the state level, but the states still have an important role to play, serving as models or testing incentives programs, emerging technologies and public-private partnerships to get the job done.

The question is – will North Carolina leaders and national leaders decide that broadband Internet is actually a public service, like electricity and telephone service? Will they implement policy solutions, like they did with electrification of the United States, to ensure that everyone is able to access broadband Internet? We hope so. While we work toward increasing availability here in North Carolina, we can’t do it without the support of our national leaders.

On the bright side, it is clear that times (and minds) are changing. And the legislators really are beginning to understand the issues involved here. When we get calls from people in rural areas that lack broadband service, we try to help on our own but we also encourage them to contact their legislators. With this newfound understanding in the N.C. General Assembly, we believe we will see more focus on the issue of broadband - more discussions, more solutions, and more prosperity for our state.

All good things.

Countdown to digital TV

The FCC currently has a Feb. 17, 2009 deadline for all U.S. broadcasters to transition over to digital. On this date, all analog broadcasting will stop and consumers will need to either purchase a new television or (more reasonably) buy converter boxes in order to continue receiving programming on their older sets.

However - surprise, surprise! Wilmington, N.C., your area will have to transition to digital broadcasting on Sept. 8, 2009. Yours is the lucky test market for the nationwide shutdown of analog broadcasting!

We're all in luck for the greater transition however, because Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to continue to use analog sets after the February 2009 deadline. The program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, which can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes.

If you are reading this blog, then it's likely that the information about the broadcast transition has already reached you. However, some of your family and friends who are less technically savvy, those folks out there who cannot set the clock on their VCR, will likely need some help in getting a converter box and setting it all up. These individuals may also live in rural areas without access to cable or satellite services.

Here is your opportunity to assist those family members and friends in addressing the issue before the mad rush, especially for the greater Wilmington area. Here are a few questions to consider with the people that may need help:

• Do they have cable or satellite (Dish) services? If so, they are all set to go!
• If not, then how old is their television? (If it is 10 or more years old, then the citizen will need to have a converter box installed.)
• If the television is newer than 10 years old, does it already have a digital tuner? (You will need to look on the back of the set or in the product manual to determine this - look for "digital" or "ATSC tuner.")

Here are some other helpful links and suggestions as we all prepare for the transition:

• Go to http://www.dtv.gov/ - it is full of great information, all in one place, including participating retailers and installation instructions for the converter box.
• Request your converter box coupons now and while supplies last, apply online through www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx. It is perfectly legal to apply for someone else as long as you use their home address (this will be validated for eligibility). Only two coupons can be used per U.S. household address, and the coupons are intended for the resident of that household. We recommend applying for two coupons even if you only have one set that needs a converter box.
• Be sure that you purchase the converter box that includes an "analog pass-through" feature (especially for you folks in Wilmington). This feature will allow you to install the box now and your regular television signal will continue to work through the transition in February 2009. This way, with the converter box installed, you can kick back, relax and watch everyone else fly into a procrastination-induced tizzy when the actual deadline rolls around.

Entrepreneurial ISPs (especially wireless), take heed

We receive a number of calls from entrepreneurs and ISPs wanting to start a wireless Internet access network. They usually ask what areas need the service, info on tower availability, where would they be the most successful, and also if we happen to have any grant funding. They have usually looked at our Web site and understand that our mission is to work toward universal high-speed Internet access to every citizen of North Carolina.

Normally, the urban counties, metropolitan areas, larger towns and larger subdivisions have at least one type of high-speed Internet access whether it is by cable modem, DSL or wireless. A business case for these areas is easy to develop (with all those potential customers packed in together), so they already have service. The small towns, communities, crossroads and rural areas of our state are the areas lacking high-speed Internet access, yet they are the areas that need it the most. These are the areas that need to be served, but are the hardest to develop a business case for.

Tower availability is also harder to find in these areas. Most water tanks already have some form of wireless equipment on them and most communities have set up guidelines and fees for their use; some have very stringent requirements and hefty fees associated with them. Getting access to fire towers has also become more difficult and backhaul transport to these locations is very expensive. All of these hidden and obvious costs have to be included in the business plan for entrepreneurs interested in starting a new ISP. And don’t forget a billing system, support staff and back office operations. It adds up.

But let’s get back to the case of effective wireless in rural communities…

Another issue for ISP entrepreneurs is access to customers, which is one of the main problems in rural areas. Manufacturers often present a “best-case” scenario when they advertise their radio equipment. Some state that their equipment is line-of-sight, but then give exaggerated examples of five to seven miles of coverage from their antenna. Some say that their signals can “blast through trees.” (They just don’t say what kind of tree.) We need for them to run some trials in the thick pine trees of rural North Carolina. According to some of the wireless providers we have talked with, pine trees “eat radio frequency.” Besides the trees, there are other items that cause interference and affect the range and quality of the signals.

Even with these challenges, wireless will probably be the only way a number of areas in North Carolina will ever see service. The e-NC Authority supports wireless efforts and the challenges outlined here are not meant to be negative or against wireless service. When ISP entrepreneurs spend their money, time and effort to serve these areas of our state, we want them to be successful. Our intention is to assist those entrepreneurial ISPs in developing a thorough business case. And when it comes time to deploy, we want them to be successful.

As for grants, we do not have any available at this time. If the N.C. General Assembly provides us with funding this year, we will address the counties with the lowest connectivity as we have in the past. And who knows – hopefully wireless can be a part of that…

Just trying to do what we're mandated to do...

On Monday there was another meeting of the House Select Committee on High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas (chaired by Rep. Bill Faison, N.C. District 50) and it was quite the adventure. Invited to present was Jim Baller of Baller Herbst Law Group in Washington, D.C., an attorney and national telecommunications policy expert. He addressed the committee and those members of the public about - in general - how far the United States and North Carolina are falling behind in terms of broadband deployment and access to connectivity. It was pretty depressing, though he did have some excellent concrete recommendations toward the end about what can be done to remedy the situation, namely to support research efforts of the e-NC Authority and provide funding for public-private partnerships for deployment in the most critically underserved counties. These recommendations tie directly into the e-NC Authority's legislative and advocacy priorities for the 2008 session.

Unfortunately, the reality of how far behind we are as a nation in terms of broadband deployment and broadband access is nothing new. But tell that to some of our rural citizens that are TRULY stuck at the bottom of the heap because their only access is dial-up or (expensive and slow) satellite! The meeting started with only three legislators present, but three others joined the meeting before leaving again prior to adjournment. The full legislature just reconvened for this summer's short session on Tuesday, so everyone there is pretty busy right now.

What also made the committee meeting so interesting was the discussion around a proposed bill that would mandate the service providers to annually report their coverage areas (availability, not disclosure of actual take-up rates or subscriber information) to the e-NC Authority. A good number of the service providers currently DO send this information to us on an annual basis, but a few of them don't - and unfortunately, this holds up the entire process.

The committee started to discuss the bill that would mandate reporting, and no issues were raised by the legislators. When the floor was opened up for commentary from those of us in the peanut gallery (staff members from the e-NC Authority, and various and sundry representatives from the service providers) - things got really interesting. Many of the service providers stated that providing this information could be financially burdensome. Some also argued that they do not have information about where exactly they offer service, at least not to the detail/degree suggested in the bill.

When you really get down to it, the e-NC Authority is only trying to accomplish its mission as assigned by the N.C. General Assembly - to accurately track the availability of high-speed Internet access in all 100 counties on an annual basis and then advocate for deployment in underserved counties.

But how can that happen effectively if the data we receive is incomplete?

Getting hip to NEW technology

In the midst of all other sundry tasks and responsibilities, our staff recently realized that an entire world of Web 2.0 opportunity was passing us by. Well...never more. Consider us reformed (or rather, a beginning of reformation).

We hereby christen this blog of the e-NC Authority - as a small but instrumental step toward greater inter-connectivity with our partners and advocates across the state of North Carolina. As we work together to increase the availability of high-speed telecommunications services, this blog will be populated with new and compelling research, publications, articles and links of interest. We hope you will join us in the discussion. Send stories of what your life is like without a high-speed connection to the Internet. Send stories about how your business or education has improved because of greater (and new!) bandwidth. And let us know how we can work better together as a team.

If North Carolina is to remain competitive in the global economy of our present and future - every citizen, school, home, hospital and business must have access to a high-speed Internet connection. Making this happen continues to require nothing short of revolutionary action on the part of our state's citizens and elected leaders - to ensure that North Carolina not only survives economic transformation, but excels at it.

Welcome to the connection.

Visit www.e-nc.org