This Just In: Initial BTOP Awards Announced

It was only July, but it seems like eons ago that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) issued a joint Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) regarding the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). We learned that roughly $2 billion would be available under the first NOFA to “support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers, and to encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.” We also heard that this funding would undergird the objectives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.

From that point, the race was on with organizations and ventures nationwide to complete their funding applications by the August deadline. Since that time, some 2,200 applicants across the nation have anxiously awaited award decisions. For some applicants the wait ended on December 17, as Vice President Joe Biden announced $182.7 million in BTOP awards that will be matched by $46 million in private capital. The Impulse Manufacturing facility in rural Dawsonville, Georgia served as the backdrop for the announcement. The technologically-advanced company, which specializes in metal fabrication, has reportedly felt stymied by a lack of true broadband.

Biden’s announcement encompassed 18 projects in 17 states, and the White House.gov Web site shows a full list of awards that were given for the following project categories:

Middle Mile Awards – $121.6 million to build and improve connections to communities lacking sufficient broadband access.

Last Mile Awards – $51.4 million to connect end users like homes, hospitals and schools to their community’s broadband infrastructure (the middle mile).

Public Computing – $7.3 million to expand computer center capacity for public use in libraries, community colleges and other public venues.

Sustainable Adoption – $2.4 million to fund innovative projects that promote broadband demand with population groups where the technology has traditionally been underutilized.

Alaska was among the initial states to receive BTOP funding for a project that will bring the first broadband services to southwestern native Alaskan communities. Other states benefitting from Biden’s announcement include: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Washington. Over the next 75 days, there will additional BTOP award announcements. So…as they say, stay tuned.

Shush! Survey Reveals State of Technology in the Nation’s Public Libraries

If you’re of a certain age, you remember the local library of old. The wooden card catalog cabinet sat in the middle of the floor and you dared not approach it without a thorough understanding of the Dewey Decimal system. Bespectacled librarians were stationed at the reference desk, ready to answer any question and they didn’t hesitate to shush you in a stern but kind way if necessary. Occasionally, you may have had to wait in line for a few minutes to check out a book or magazine. Once you got your date-stamped materials in-hand, you were on your way. There were no computer workstations and the Internet was still just a glimmer in Al Gore’s mind.

That was then. And this is now…

Today’s libraries are fundamentally the same, but patron’s needs and expectations have changed. The latest best-seller is still a draw, but broadband access is equally important – particularly for job-seekers in these tough times. In January 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported that an average of 230 people were lining up to use only 27 computers at Randolph County Public Library in Asheboro, N.C. Across the country, libraries are working to keep up with connectivity demands while facing enormous challenges. The state of technology in the nation’s libraries is articulated in a recent study from the American Library Association. The study, titled Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study, “assesses public access to computers, the Internet and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, as well as the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment and sustainability in FY2008-2009.” Key findings from the study include:

• More than 98 percent of public libraries offer public Internet access.
• 71.4 percent of public libraries represent the only source for free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities. In rural communities that figure is 78.6 percent.
• 81 percent of libraries do not have enough computers to consistently meet patron demand.
• 60 percent of public libraries report Internet connection speeds that regularly fail to meet patron demands.
• Roughly 23 percent of libraries report a desire to increase their current Internet speed, but cannot afford to do so.
• 35 percent of libraries offer formal technology training and 52.6 percent offer informal technology assistance.
• Rural libraries offer an average of 7.6 public access workstations versus 18.7 at urban locations.
• Over 94 percent of libraries impose time limits on public access workstations. Of those, 70 percent have time limits of 60 minutes or less.
• In 2004, 17.9 percent of libraries offered Wi-Fi access; in 2009 that number stands at 76.4 percent.

These figures underscore the everyday struggle of libraries across the U.S. Funding cuts have put a strain on technology infrastructure and some librarians have had to add IT maintenance to their workload. Unfortunately, doing more with less has become the norm. Meeting future broadband capacity needs will require continued utilization of the federal E-Rate program, collaborations, partnerships, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars, and a lot of creative thinking. Solutions may not come easily, but libraries will find a way.

Broadband Rigor in North Carolina – Mapping as an Essential First Step

You can’t know where you are going unless it’s clear where you are now and how you came to be here. As simplistic and obvious as that may sound, it captures the driving principle behind one of this organization’s primary activities. Since 2001, the e-NC Authority has acted on its legislative mandate to develop and maintain a map that depicts the status of North Carolina’s broadband availability. The map evolved over time from a static, county-based representation that was updated annually to its current interactive format. Today, this map provides users with information on the availability of DSL, cable-modem and wireless broadband service at any address in a GIS-based searchable format. Based on this map and related citizen surveys, it is easy to understand the great progress that North Carolina has made in terms of deploying broadband technology. And while we can generalize about levels of connectivity for the state as a whole, circumstances in individual communities are sometimes hazy. To add a jumbled metaphor to the mix, we can see the forest clearly, but not always the trees.

Sometimes, the “look” of any broadband map can be challenging. While advances in the technology used to develop, display and update maps have made it more generally useful, problems in the collection and verification of underlying provider-supplied information can limit its true value. Inconsistencies in type, accuracy, completeness and currency of information from some sources can make it difficult to determine with confidence the true level of broadband access in the state at the street/address range level.

The need for better information about broadband infrastructure led U.S. Congress to enact the National Broadband Data Improvement Act (BDIA), directing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop the first national broadband availability map. The need for precise information about where service is and isn’t available was made even more acute with the release of funding guidelines for programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (often referred to as “the stimulus”) dealing with broadband deployment. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) will target awards to applicants who can document extension or enhancement of service to regions with inadequate broadband service at the street or census-block level. With better broadband mapping information the e-NC Authority will be able to:

1) meet obligations as the state’s designated mapping entity to comply with the BDIA mandate
2) fulfill the order from the N.C. General Assembly to regularly monitor and report the status of connectivity in this state
3) facilitate more competitive North Carolina-based BTOP and BIP applications

The e-NC Authority has proposed an innovative and exciting proposal to the NTIA entitled N.C. Broadband Rigor in Mapping (N.C. BRIM), which will ensure delivery of broadband data that is complete, accurate, timely and verifiable. This will be accomplished through a research method known as triangulation. Originally used in surveying and military target applications where precision and accuracy are critical, triangulation is a powerful technique that validates data by cross-referencing more than two sources using multiple research methodologies that study the same phenomenon. The idea is that you can be more confident in the results of said research if different methods are leading to the same result. If only one method is used, it is possible that the results may be affected by inherent biases or limitations of the technique used. If two methods are used, the results may also well clash. By using three research methods, the hope is that two of the three will produce similar answers. If all three methods create clashing answers, the investigator would then understand the need for revision – be it the research questions or the methods used. The e-NC Authority is pleased to confirm that the NTIA expressed such confidence in this approach. N.C. BRIM was one of four grants awarded in the first round of mapping awards.

Triangulation, as applied in N.C. BRIM, involves capturing and comparing data from different methodologies:

1) Broadband service providers will be asked to supply data that complies with standards established the NTIA
2) Leading-edge Web-crawling techniques will deliver the same categories of information obtained independently of providers
3) Citizen-derived data will be obtained through phone surveys (landline and wireless) or Internet-based e-surveys
4) Surveys of businesses will round out the user-provided data
5) A GIS-enabled wireless propagation study will be the first-ever statewide examination of wireless access (the results of this propagation study will then be validated by field interviews and surveys)

Finally, an expert panel of independent evaluators and data management professionals will convene to analyze results and validate a strategy that will deliver the highest quality result for the state of North Carolina.

Knock knock, ARRA. Where will you invest?

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced recently that they received nearly $28 billion in grant requests for the first round broadband funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Approximately $4 billion has been allocated to be awarded in the first round of available funding – this is out of $7.2 billion total broadband grants available under ARRA.

NTIA and RUS reported that tallies indicate almost 1,500 applications for broadband infrastructure projects and over 300 applications for broadband adoption and public computer programs. Again – these requests have been made under just the first round of available funding, which gave potential grantees a mere five weeks from publication of the Notice of Funds Availability to the application’s due date.

So, it seems there are lots of ideas for how to invest in broadband infrastructure, and a lot of need to go with it. With a national broadband policy still under development, it will be interesting to see which applications are selected, how the use of these funds will shape the future of broadband policy and what changes will be realized in the telecommunications industry overall.

And while the broadband landscape changes, how will this impact other telecom industry infrastructure? According to The Economist, if landlines continue to decline at the current rate, they could be extinct by 2025. This scenario creates its own challenges – a cell phone can sometimes replace a home phone line, but could businesses easily replace landlines? And what about emergency services? Do businesses and individuals without cell phones end up paying more for a critical phone line which, while not as exciting as broadband, is nevertheless a lifeline utility? And with decreased demand, how many remaining customers are paying into the Universal Service Fund? A complementary opinion piece in The Economist calls for regulators to respond to these complex challenges.

Meanwhile, mobile networks continue to grow from investments in 3G and 4G networks. There is talk of possible scrambling to obtain or retain deals with Apple for rights to the iPhone, seen as a compelling enticement for getting customers to sign up with a particular wireless carrier.

All this is to say – you won’t have to look far to see folks waiting on the edge of their seats to see how ARRA broadband funds are invested. Not only will these investments impact broadband evolution, but they will also have a strong influence upon the changing tide telecommunications period – landlines, wireless, voice, data and video. Hopefully there are some exceptional ideas within the 2,200 applications submitted a few weeks ago and, with any luck, these ideas can be sifted through for the best investments to foster innovative broadband and telecom policies for the country.

Making the Grade (Online)

The headlines in the papers right now about constrained budgets can be troubling for anyone interested in public education – or really, all of us. Class sizes are increasing, teaching assistant and instructor positions are being cut, courses are being cancelled altogether and there are not enough books and other instructional materials to go around. Added to this are concerns over the number of students that under-perform, fail to graduate on time or drop out altogether. College admission standards are rising even though we have a lack of teachers certified in math, science and technology – especially in rural counties. We hear that the system is broken, and that we do not have the resources to fix it, at least not through traditional approaches. Therein lies a reason for hope – this crisis of fiscal and human resources may be just the catalyst needed to motivate realization of broadband’s potential to revolutionize education at all levels, in all places.

North Carolina is acting on this promise and charting a course of leadership in virtual education that is a model for the nation. Efforts initiated by then Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue in 2005 through the e-NC Authority and partnering organizations including the N.C. Research and Education Network (NCREN) have successfully extended broadband connectivity to all public educational institutions (k-20) and optimized the federal e-rate that subsidizes connectivity support in k-12 schools statewide. That is the infrastructure side of the equation.

On the content side, the N.C. Virtual Public School (NCVPS), officially launched in June 2007, is emerging as a national leader in the burgeoning field of online public education. NCVPS offers course credit to middle and high school students who want to complete core courses, advanced placement courses, honors courses, and/or credit recovery courses to satisfy requirements for a high school diploma and to enhance their transcripts for college applications. Ranked eighth in the country in state-led virtual school polices and practices, North Carolina already has over 15,300 students enrolled in online NCVPS courses. In addition to expanded academic offerings, NCVPS offers other online services to North Carolina students, such as test preparation, career planning services and credit recovery.

Other e-Learning opportunities available to North Carolina students that might be of interest include the following:

· Learn and Earn Online
· UNC-Greensboro ischool
· N.C. Community College System Online
· UNC Online

We know that online education works. Rigorous analysis of over 1,000 studies on the subject show that on average, higher-level students in online learning programs perform better than those receiving face-to-face instruction. In North Carolina, the networks are in place and the content is available but something is still missing. Too many students in North Carolina do not have household Internet access at speeds and bandwidths necessary for delivering Web-based educational applications. We know that approximately 12 percent of homes with children do not have a computer with Internet access and that approximately 16 percent of homes qualify for subsidized telephone services through the N.C. Lifeline Link-Up program. Efforts are under way in some individual school systems in the state and at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction through its NC 1:1 Learning Collaborative program to make broadband-connected computers available to all students. Another cost-effective model proposes morphing the existing Lifeline Link-Up program to a broadband platform to ensure that all k-12 students in the state have household computers and broadband access. Statewide implementation of such initiatives will more fully capture the benefits of online education for overcoming the state’s many economic and educational challenges.

e-Medicine and the Digital Divide

According to a June 2009 report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 61 percent of American adults look for health information online. Dubbed “e-Patients,” these individuals use the Internet to learn about health topics of interest to them or their friends and family. Be it something as benign as a splinter or life-threatening as Swine Flu (H1N1), the Internet is seen as a source for reliable health information. Of course, the Internet can’t replace doctors, but it can enable users to make informed health care decisions and thereby encourage a more participatory doctor-patient relationship.

WebMD is one of the most well-known health information portals, attracting 17.3 million unique visitors in July 2008. Social networking site Patients Like Me functions as a support group and offers a platform for sharing treatment experiences. Public agencies such as local health departments, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sources for the most up-to-date health information and scientific data. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, podcasts, medical journals, and medical atlases can also be used to facilitate health care conversations. Beyond that, virtual tours of medical facilities and physician video libraries like VideoMD can be tapped. And clinic directories can be found on sites like the North Carolina Association of Free Clinics. Excellent resources…if you have access.

People who are prone to suffer from serious health conditions generally have little or no access to online health care information. Vulnerable non-users are more likely to be poor, less educated, elderly or chronically ill. And they tend to be from historically underrepresented groups. Some are very young, uninsured or underinsured while others may be out of work, homeless, disabled or have limited-English proficiency. Often, these individuals live in medically-underserved rural or inner city areas and lack access to online health resources. All of this can exacerbate health disparities.

Bridging the digital divide related to health care information begins with extending reliable, affordable broadband to vulnerable populations while also supplying Internet-ready computers. Likewise, collaborative efforts are needed to provide computer skills training with emphasis on strategies for accessing health information online and using chronic disease management tools. It’s also essential that health content be accurate and multi-lingual. Copyright restrictions and pay-for-use fees that stem the dissemination of health information should, likewise, be reassessed. It’s equally important that findings from health disparities research be used to craft e-health policy. Daunting as these tasks may seem, as a nation, we are on the cusp of a new era in health care, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers an unparalleled opportunity to address digital divide issues. The challenge is to turn that opportunity into action.

Google’s Chrome OS

So, let’s imagine that your company name has become a verb. Lucky dog! You’ve just reported revenues of $5.52 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2009 – despite the global economic downturn. You’re a key player in the search engine market. You operate a Web browser. Your Gmail service gives users more than 7,300 MB of free storage and you’ve found a clever and popular way to map the Earth. How do you top that? Well, if you’re Google, you extend your reach just a little bit farther to see if you can shake things up in the operating system (OS) realm.

In early July, Google revealed that it is developing a free, open-source, Linux-based operating system that is using the Web as its primary development platform. The fast, lightweight OS will carry the same “Chrome” moniker as the company’s Web browser and when it debuts some time in 2010, it will join OS giants like Linux, Apple Leopard, and Microsoft Windows. Chrome will run on standard x86 chips and ARM chips, and Google is working with companies like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba to bring Chrome OS-compatible devices to market.

Chrome is not Google’s first foray into the OS arena. Android, the company’s mobile OS, runs on the G1 phone from T-Mobile. Though there will be some overlap, Google intends to keep both systems with an eye toward market segmentation. Android, as the company explained in a recent blog post, is designed “to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks.” Chrome OS is “being created for people who spend most of their time on the Web, and [it] is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.” The company also reports that it is “going back to basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”

But will it?

Critics of Chrome say Google has brand power, but lacks driver ecosystem knowledge and the type of customer support staff that an OS requires. There are also privacy concerns. Undoubtedly, Google has given these and other criticisms a great deal of thought, so Chrome OS is not likely to end up as just another heap of code on the R&D scrap pile. Google knows that Chrome has promise, and the idea of using the Web as the primary development platform seems to build on the master plan of cloud computing. This, of course, raises an interesting question: Given the way people have embraced cloud-centric e-mail and social networking, is the Internet the future of the operating system? Stay tuned. Google may very well have the answer.

States Compete for Efficiency and Opportunity – via Technology

This fall, all 50 states will have the opportunity to find help (in the form of cash grants) from the federal government to assist in developing their own authorities to map broadband availability. These federal grants are also available to assist in addressing broadband supply, demand and uptake rates in households, businesses and major community institutions in each state. Known as the Broadband Data and Improvement Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), between $1.3 and $3.8 million is available to each state depending on the competitiveness of their grant applications.

Why is this so important to citizens? Broadband deployment enables better access to health care and educational opportunities, while also enhancing economic competitiveness – among countless other benefits. For the first time, governments in all 50 states will be able to take a good look at how they interact with citizens as they contemplate greater broadband availability.

Here are some examples of how greater access to government services could help citizens:

Better, Faster, Cheaper is a new Web site of the Harvard University Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and aims to provide a forum for government officials to post best practices. There is currently a very robust ongoing column about technology and government, well worth perusing.

On his way out of office, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack worked with legislative leaders to develop an “Office of Lean” in the Department of Management. The goal of this initiative is to identify and eliminate wasteful or overlapping spending – saving money for the citizens of Iowa while simultaneously improving services. The bonus? Participating government departments are given the option to retain up to 50 percent of the identified savings.

Last year, Utah’s state government transitioned to a four-day work week and opted to close public buildings on Fridays. They realized an immediate annual savings of $4 million in energy costs alone. Utah has now moved more than 850 services to the Internet. According to state CIO Steve Fletcher, it has been very successful with citizens.

So again – how can technology help? ARRA grants across America will jump-start broadband and enable states to deploy this infrastructure faster; it will be a sight to behold when more private, government and nonprofit initiatives are funded to deploy broadband. This will also assist community anchor institutions (schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.) to become part of statewide broadband networks – whether these networks are run by government, nonprofit or private sectors.

We are witnessing a paramount shift in how governments deliver services – driven wholly by technology. But when you really boil it down, the citizens will also have a tremendous impact on the new and fresh ideas of how this will actually come to fruition. How can technology make your state government greener? How can technology reduce the cost of government? How can citizens find government more transparent with broadband access? These are your questions – but are they being directed to your government?

Disability Should Not Mean Disconnected: Recasting Lifeline/Link-Up Programs

The Internet is sometimes described as “the great equalizer,” capable of overcoming most barriers in the delivery of resources and services to an ever-expanding spectrum of people and organizations. The importance of universal Internet access and the ability to use broadband-enabled information and services is made explicit in the core purposes of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA, section 6001). In addition to providing support to ensure access and stimulate demand for broadband in unserved and underserved areas, public safety agencies, job-creating strategic facilities and anchor institutions (such as schools, libraries, and medical facilities) the ARRA funds target organizations and agencies serving vulnerable populations. In ARRA documents and the related Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), the term “vulnerable” includes those whose Internet access and use is limited due to “low income, unemployed [and] aged” conditions. While persons with physical disabilities are not expressly referenced in the BTOP Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), they have been singled out for special attention in draft legislation previously submitted to reform federal broadband programs (Benton Foundation example, Hearing Loss Web example).

The Federal Communications Commission, with funding from the Universal Service Fund, administers the Lifeline/Link-Up programs to address telecommunications needs of qualifying low-income citizens. Historically, the Lifeline/Link-Up programs provide discounts for initial installation and activation of telephone services over publicly-switched telephone networks. More recently, discounts have been extended to include wireless services in select areas. As broadband becomes more important in the delivery of basic services, some are arguing that it is time to reform these programs and their funding sources in order to subsidize broadband and Internet-based services. The need to transform the Lifeline/ Link-Up programs to provide broadband service is especially acute in among disabled citizens, where the percentage of persons with Internet access is reported to be only half that of the general population.

North Carolina has long been an advocate and active partner in extending voice service to those who qualify for Lifeline/Link-Up program assistance. Lifeline subsidies subtract $13.50 monthly from the telephone bills of qualifying customers. Of this amount, $10 is the federal portion paid directly to service providers; the remaining $3.50 is treated as a tax credit that offsets corporate state taxes accrued by service providers. According to Hugh Gerringer with the N.C. Utilities Commission, approximately 126,000 customers in North Carolina received Lifeline subsidies on their phone bill even though nearly 500,000 families qualify. Many of the state’s low-income citizens are also disabled. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 21.1 percent of individuals in North Carolina who were 5 years of age and older were identified as having a disability; this figure that is slightly higher than the overall 19.3 percent found in the national population. Among adults age 65 and older, this figure is 45.7 percent.

The e-NC Authority is developing a proposal in response to the available ARRA broadband funding to pilot a program that will adapt the Lifeline/Link-Up programs to support broadband service for low-income and disabled populations in North Carolina. This proposed pilot program will include outreach and training initiatives targeting social service agencies serving as the gatekeepers for qualifying individuals. The pilot will also address training opportunities for those receiving services.

Where the CITIZENS come to ask questions…

Almost on a daily basis, the e-NC Authority hears from citizens that do not have broadband access. Their stories are often born from ongoing frustration with lack of service, being held back at work and school by not having service, and the experience they have had with telecommunications service providers.

When we correspond with citizens, we always try to gather information about their specific experience (ex. do they know others nearby without service, what their experience has been when contacting who they think would be the obvious service provider, how lack of service is affecting their life/home, etc.), but we also encourage them to write to their legislators about the issue. Often, we must also explain the nature of the telecommunications industry and its relationship with regulatory government. Once we gather information about the citizen’s home address and landline telephone number, we ensure that the citizen has contact information for their elected leaders in the N.C. General Assembly.

With address and home landline in-hand, we then forward that information to the closest service provider to inquire about if that citizen’s location is included in any known deployment plans. Getting this answer back from a service provider can take anywhere from a few days to several months. We always forewarn citizens that the e-NC Authority does not hold regulatory authority and that getting information back from the service provider about their specific location can often take a long period of time.

The content of the correspondence is something to behold. From time to time, we plan to post that content to this blog. Here are a few. (Specific information from citizens and their service provider has been removed to protect privacy.)

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Hello, I live three miles from the local university and cannot get broadband. I am a professional therapist and my wife is a professor at the college. A neighbor up the road gets broadband, but apparently we are too far from the source. We are supposedly about the same distance away from the other transfer station, so we will likely never get broadband. Help!

I have had (the telecommunications company) come and check the line on two separate occasions. They never let me know their findings until I called and was routed through several different branches of their service. Then I was told our house was too far away, with no explanation about why our neighbor who lives up the mountain received broadband services.

S.M., Jackson County

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I live in Graham County. For the last two years I have been struggling to get broadband service at my residence. I contacted (the telecommunications company) and they stated that DSL service was not available. After talking to the local technicians, they said it might be possible to get DSL. The current outcome is that the local employees want to provide the service and they say they could, but the upper management of their company did not want to provide a solution. I've called and talked to anybody in (the telecommunications company’s) chain of management that would listen to me. The higher up I go, the less they care about the situation and always more focus on profit issues.

My wife is a full time college student who is a distant learner and her university requires high-speed Internet for school work. She must drive either to the public library or her mother's house to have Internet access. I know of many more residents in my area and in Graham County who would like broadband service to better themselves. It seems my efforts alone will not get the ball rolling, so if there is any help or guidance that e-NC can provide would be greatly appreciated. If this helps any I am a Disabled Veteran, a former Marine, who is still serving (in a public service job) and in the U.S. Army reserves. All I am asking for is for something that many take for granted.

K.T., Graham County

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I took an early retirement package from a newspaper in November and established a business at my home. I have been severely hampered by having only slow, dialup Internet at home. Many Web sites I need to use for research will not open here. PDFs are also very slow to open, if they open at all. Often, I write on my laptop and then drive six miles to another town to e-mail my article to my customer. One offer of regular editing work was rescinded in part because of my "connectivity issues."

Everything I do takes much, much longer than it should. This is a real burden in my business. I live in eastern Stokes County. (Telecommunications company) is my phone provider; they will not bring DSL to my house, even though they have it north of here. (Another telecommunications company) is the local cable provider; they told me I am "unserviceable" even though they come near our road. Someone I met who lives in a remote area of Stokes County right on the Virginia line recommended (a satellite company), but they said that they will not serve my area.

I have a (telecommunications company) air card for my laptop, but their service is not strong enough in my house to use the air card. Once, I wrote an article in my laptop and, because it was raining, had to drive to the top of a nearby hill just to send it out by e-mail. This is not a very good way to run a business.

I e-mailed all my state representatives and some others who I had been told were on crucial committees about rural broad-band back in the winter. I received not a single reply. If there is anything I can do to help this process along, please let me know.

L.B., Stokes County

Broadband on Jones St. & National ARRA update

As we head into July, we are likely looking at the last few weeks of the N.C. General Assembly’s legislative session. So, what’s happened? As far as broadband legislation, several bills have made it into law, primarily those supported by the telecommunications service providers.

HB135/SL 2009-80 – Broadband Service Providers
This bill allows companies that already provide broadband to expand their service areas for voice service. This was signed into law on June 11.

SB889/SL 2009-202 – Utilities/Carrier of Last Resort
This bill allows for local exchange companies to, in some cases, be granted waivers of their carrier of last resort obligations for certain subdivisions and other defined areas. This was signed into law on June 26.

HB1180/SL2009-238 – Consumer Choice and Investment Act of 2009
This bill decreases regulation on local exchange companies in their provision of voice service. This was signed into law on June 30.
SB357– Utilities/Regulation of Pole Attachments
This bill requires municipalities and membership corporations to allow the use of their poles, ducts and conduits by communications service providers and authorizes the North Carolina Business Court to resolve disputes around use. This bill was ratified July 2 and is now waiting to be signed into law.

So with the final budget still in limbo – the session is not over, but these are some of the key broadband bills that have made it into law, or are at least headed in that general direction.

So what happens now? The state budget is expected to pass in the next couple of weeks. The e-NC Authority expects to retain much of its recurring operating funds so that we may continue to keep our doors open for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Unfortunately though, the latest versions of the budget do not contain funding for broadband-related grant programs as requested by the e-NC Authority. We are still pushing for funds that could be used as match for grant applications on broadband projects forthcoming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

And in other big news…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce released the Notice of Funding Availability this week for the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

In North Carolina, the Office of Economic Recovery and Investment has been holding meetings of its Broadband Task Force (although the state does not have direct input on funds distributed by RUS and NTIA). At the next meeting of the group in July, Connected Nation’s online maps of North Carolina are to be presented.

In other big happenings, CenturyTel and EMBARQ announced this week that they have completed their merger, impacting 33 states. And last month, Verizon Communications announced the sale of its landline service in 14 states, including in North Carolina. Meanwhile, AT&T continues to focus on build-out of its mobile 3G wireless network.

Technology Reuse: New life for old computers

Many of us have been environmentally conscious for years. We faithfully sort through our trash to unearth newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles. We take old clothes to Goodwill Industries, buy organic and tend a compost pile in the backyard. But when it comes to that old computer sitting in the hall closet and those ancient monitors gathering dust in the attic, it is difficult to know what to do.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “In 2007, discarded TVs, computers, peripherals (including printers, scanners, faxes), mice, keyboards and cell phones totaled about 2.5 million tons” of waste. When this electronic waste, or e-waste as it’s commonly known, is disposed of improperly, substances like lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants can end up in landfills. Fortunately, there are environmentally-responsible disposal alternatives that can benefit our communities.

First, open your phone book and call a nonprofit – as there are scores of them nationwide that collect donated, second-hand computer equipment. This equipment is often refurbished and offered free or at a low cost to organizations and individuals. This helps to bridge the digital divide in a major way. San Francisco’s City Youth Now has also found that donated laptops can positively influence the lives of some teenagers and young adults who have become involved with gangs and illegal drug activity. Here in North Carolina, the e-NC Authority is exploring how refurbished computers can be used to help economically-disadvantaged citizens gain access to the Internet.

If you are looking to donate or acquire a refurbished or used computer, these organizations could be of assistance.

Earth911.com: Web site offering a searchable database of over 100,000 reuse/recycling centers nationwide.

EPA: The EPA’s Do the PC Thing offers helpful information about clearing data from your computer before making an equipment donation.

Goodwill Industries: Contact your local Goodwill to find out if the location accepts computer donations.

National Cristina Foundation: Accepts donations of used computer equipment from individuals and corporations, and then matches that equipment to non-profit organizations, schools, and public agencies that serve the disabled, at-risk students, and the economically disadvantaged.

Plug-In To eCycling: A partnership program between the EPA and electronic manufacturers, retailers, and service providers, which is designed to provide consumers with options for donating and recycling used electronic equipment.

Kramden Institute: Durham, N.C.-based nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and awards them to economically-disadvantaged K-12 students in the Triangle area.

Purple Elephant Computer Factory for KIDS!: Raleigh, N.C.-based nonprofit that provides refurbished, operational, Internet-capable computers to individuals and organizations.

Recycles.org: Web site serving as a national and regional exchange network that connects prospective computer equipment donors with nonprofit participants.

TechSoup: Offers discounted and donated technology products to nonprofits. Web site also features a blog, Webinars, articles, discussion forums, and information about upcoming technology events.

Planning Broadband for the “New Normal”

In his recent conversation-starter essay, The New Normal, Ian Davis poses the question of “What comes next?” in terms of our current economic turbulence. Davis’ basic premise is that the current downturn is fundamentally different from recessions of the past, and that we are about to face a restructuring of known economic order. He states that the “new normal” will be shaped by a confluence of powerful forces – some arising directly from the financial crisis and some that were at work long before this all began. One-time factors such as the entry of women into the labor force and loads of new college graduates conveniently coincided with peak spending years of the baby boom generation – all helping to boost consumption-driven growth since the 1980s. It is clear that these forces will not predominate in whatever emerges. Rather, Davis says that the factors shaping the world economy of the near future are less leverage and more government.

We already see evidence of the effect these factors are having on efforts to stabilize the financial crisis and revitalize growth in the banking and financial services sector. In the arena where the e-NC Authority is most directly concerned (broadband deployment), decreased leverage is sparking a new wave of mergers and acquisitions, delays in equipment upgrades and new deployments and reduced investment in product R&D. Countering these negative trends is another that makes us cautiously optimistic: increased interest in broadband at the highest levels of federal government through targeted investment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

On Feb. 17, 2010, at long last, a national broadband plan will be delivered to Congress by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As its primary goal, this plan will espouse ubiquitous and affordable broadband access. On May 22, 2009, acting FCC chairman Michael, J. Copps made an important down-payment toward the national plan with the release of the report Bringing Broadband to Rural America. This report fulfills a requirement of the June 2008 Farm Bill that the USDA and the FCC submit a rural broadband strategy to Congress. Other critical federal broadband legislation includes the ARRA that will provide funds to map the current broadband footprint and help fund network deployment to unserved and under-served communities, and the October 2008 Broadband Data Improvement Act that requires the FCC to deliver an annual status report to Congress that benchmarks progress toward ubiquitous broadband access.

Highlighted recommendations contained in the Rural Broadband Plan include:

• Improve coordination among federal agencies and with stakeholders to better harmonize broadband agendas and working definitions – leverage broadband dollars across federal agencies and improve communication via an improved Web site
  
• Assess and address broadband needs thorough accurate mapping, education and training to stimulate demand – and provide subsidies to increase penetration while decreasing the cost of deployment
  
• Overcome challenges through consideration of universal services reform, network openness, spectrum access, middle mile and speed access reforms, inter-carrier compensation, access to poles and rights-of-way and tower studies
  
• Monitor and adjust the plan through annual status reports to Congress

In support of a national vision for broadband, acting FCC Chairman Copps harkens back to other instances where leadership and vision were successfully employed in the face of considerable opposition – and those adventures ended up delivering critical infrastructure that catalyzed and sustained economic growth. Think about it – he’s right. U.S. Postal Service. Transcontinental Railroad. Interstate Highway System. Rural Electrification and its spin-of, the Rural Telephone Cooperatives. All then of course, the Internet itself. All of these initiatives represent transformative public investments whose development depended on a strong and coordinated national vision. We agree with Copps’ statement that it is time for the United States to meet the challenges of the 21st century with universal broadband deployment. Whatever our collective “New Normal” turns out to be, we will be better prepared to meet it if we are all connected.

The Latest: Broadband on Jones St.

As we move into June, there is now a somewhat clearer picture of how North Carolina’s current connectivity-related bills are moving and shaking within the General Assembly. Much remains to be seen, but we understand that about half of the legislation related to connectivity made the crossover deadline on May 14. Baby steps, right?

So, what is crossover, you ask? This is the deadline for when legislation that does not involve money must be passed by one chamber (read: the House or the Senate) and been tossed to the other chamber. If legislation doesn’t pass in one chamber by this deadline, it’s essentially dead-in-the-water for this year. Some exceptions can exist for this rule, but that’s usually only the case if the legislation is being sent to appropriations or revenue committees. Bills that did not meet the crossover deadline can still be considered in some type of study committee after this year’s session. If they are in a study committee, then they can roll their decisions into bills that can be considered next year. All appropriations- and revenue-related bills are still under consideration for this session.

Here are the connectivity-related bills that met the crossover deadline, and still up for consideration by the N.C. General Assembly. (HB refers to House Bill, SB refers to Senate Bill.)

HB135 – Broadband Service Providers
This just passed the Senate Commerce committee, and would allow broadband service providers to also sell voice service in their area.

HB136 – DOT/Fiber-Optic Cable
This legislation is now in the Senate Finance committee. It would allow the N.C. Department of Transportation to acquire right-of-way for fiber optic cable enabling broadband communications.

HB530 / SB889 – Utilities/Carrier of Last Resort
The House version of the bill is now in the Senate Commerce committee and the Senate version is now in the House Public Utilities committee. This legislation would further authorize the N.C. Utilities Commission to designate carriers of last resort.

SB357 – Utilities/Regulation of Pole Attachments by Communications Service Providers
This is now in the House Ways & Means/Broadband Connectivity committee. This bill would require municipalities and membership corporations to allow the use of their poles, ducts and conduits by communications service providers and would also change the handling of related disputes between entities.

SB1004 – Level Playing Field
This is now in the House Public Utilities committee, and authorizes the Revenue Laws Study Committee to research local government owned and operated communications services. The original bill proposed adding restrictions to municipalities providing broadband service to their community. The e-NC Authority’s position on this issue is that local governments should have the right to offer broadband services when the service available does not meet the needs of the local community.

HB1180 – Consumer Choice and Investment Act of 2009
This just passed the Senate Commerce committee, and would decrease regulation on local exchange companies in their provision of voice service.

The e-NC Authority’s funding legislation – HB532 and SB697 – are in appropriations committees, so they are still up for consideration in this session. During the first week of June, the appropriations subcommittees will likely make their funding recommendations to the chairs of the full appropriations committees. At that point, the House budget will quickly take shape. Ultimately, a conference committee will be appointed to work out the differences between the Senate and House budgets.

As everyone knows, there continues to be a budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, and low projected revenues for the upcoming year. In fact, experts are saying that it could be as late as 2013-2014 before the state can expect to generate enough revenue for a $20.8 billion state budget again (this was the initial budget for 2008-2009).

So – for all the broadband advocates in North Carolina, we still need you to talk to your representatives about the need to make such a critical investment, and to continue to provide financial support for the e-NC Authority. Always remember that, for better or worse, legislators are expected to understand and track thousands of bills and different policy issues, so please help with continuing to educate them about the importance of broadband for economic competitiveness through job creation in our state – for every dollar invested in broadband is expected to return ten-fold to North Carolina’s economy.

The nationwide splatter of job losses

We came across an interesting animation this week - a tool that demostrates/illustrates the collective job gains and losses that different communities in this country have experienced since January 2004. The animation is simple but the impact is profound. Just visually, this shows you that no area of the country stands immune from the economic downturn. While some economists and politicians may groan about certain corners of the United States that seem to be losing more jobs than in other areas, this animation truly debunks any notion of that. Unfortunately, the final "slide" is eerily reminiscent of a crime scene. Yikes. All the more reason to start your own business?

The (Free) Classroom of Life

These days, a lot of community colleges and universities offer Web-based education for individuals pursing degrees or certifications. But folks that pursue online education aren’t always looking for a degree. Some of us just want to increase our knowledge for professional, civic, or personal development. To address this need, an increasing number of institutions are providing open access to lectures and courses through their Web sites or via iTunes U. These non-credit offerings allow self-learners to audit classes and listen to renowned lecturers free of charge – without commuting to a campus or dealing with tests and admissions hurdles. Access to an Internet-connected computer and a love of learning is all that is required.

So, let’s say you’re interested in micro-financing and poverty elimination. One of the world’s leading experts on these subjects is Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus. You can hear Yunus’ perspective on these topics in a 44-minute segment featured with UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan Flagler School. If you’d rather focus on mathematics, listen to MIT Professor Denis Auroux conduct a lecture series called "Multivariable Calculus." More interested in literature? Consider Yale University Professor Amy Hungerford’s “The American Novel Since 1945." Or, perhaps you’d like to hear D.C.’s Public School Chancellor Michelle Rhee talk about education reform. Duke’s Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy has a video of Rhee’s November 2008 speech titled, "Public Education Reform: The Case Study of Washington, D.C." And that’s just a sampling of the thousands of archived courses and lectures that abound on the Web.

But what if you don’t have the time or patience to hunt for institutions that offer free, open access to their course catalogs and lecture series? The OpenCourse Ware Consortium is a global network of more than 200 universities, providing what the group describes as “free and open digital publication of high-quality education materials, organized as courses.” So, from your desk or armchair, you can tap into the University of Tokyo or the University of Nottingham, to name a few. Then there's Academic Earth, a new site compiling listings of free online course and lecture offerings. Founder Richard Ludlow is hoping his clearinghouse site will eventually offer free electronic textbooks and opportunities for learners to interact with one another. In the meantime, if you’re searching for a particular book or article being discussed in a class you’re auditing, start with a visit to your local library, and be sure to check out NC LIVE and the Library of Congress as well. Along the way – whether for education or leisure, always remember these budget-conscious sites that allow you to trade, borrow, or buy books: bookmooch.com, paperbackswap.com, bookswim.com and betterworld.com. Happy learning!

In Search of Excellence: Research that Underpins SOUND Public Policy

Look up the word “research” and you will find an expansive set of definitions that ultimately converge on the idea answering questions, discovering truths and gather information. We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again – the e-NC Authority is legislatively charged by the N.C. General Assembly to research access to telecommunications infrastructure and use that data to inform state efforts to encourage broadband Internet use and expansion. We take this charge very seriously – applying considerable resources and talent to the collection, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, utilization and dissemination of the e-NC Authority’s proprietary research on behalf of the citizens and businesses of North Carolina.

The e-NC Authority employs research that includes the following:
- qualitative focus groups
- quantitative/high-precision surveys
- empirical assessments of geographic or population connectivity issues
- meta analysis of mathematical modeling and technology adoption
- exploratory network feasibility studies
- prescriptive, futures-oriented technology forecasts
- retrospective evaluations of funded programs
- data-driven economic impact assessments

While the methods may vary, the e-NC Authority’s commitment to high-quality, high-relevance research has never wavered. Studies conducted involve in-house research professionals and expert consultants to generate data and results that are credible, accurate and independently verifiable. Multiple approaches are utilized to provide more accurate answers in instances where data availability is incomplete. Third-party research professionals at universities and private research organizations join our studies and provide arms-length evaluations of the e-NC Authority’s programs.

Best of all – its public. All research produced or sponsored by the e-NC Authority is available at http://www.e-nc.org/research.asp. This is in keeping with the legislative and legal mandates that govern us as a state authority but also with the research methodologies and best practices that drive the private sector. Following research best practices is not simply a gesture towards credibility – it is fundamental in our mandate to provide responsible guidance for public policies and investments in an arena that is critical to economic competitiveness.

Finally, the e-NC Authority champions data- and fact-driven research as a requirement for the accountability that any publicly-funded agency must provide. Therefore, we applaud the fact that accountability is an important factor to federal government agencies that will be managing grants, programs and initiatives of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With the help of the e-NC Authority’s research, North Carolina’s public, private and nonprofit agencies will be better prepared to responsibly manage any broadband stimulus dollars made available.

Broadband on Jones Street?

Well, things are moving quickly on Jones Street. For those of you trying to follow broadband issues in the legislature, here are a few references for you.

As you may already know, there was a House select committee called High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas. This committee submitted its final report to the N.C. General Assembly in January. That same month, the e-NC Authority also submitted its Internet Action Plan to the state’s legislators. Take some time to read it – we think you’ll find it to be overwhelmingly progressive.

Once the House select committee wrapped, we were pleasantly surprised to find that a House standing committee was created to look at broadband. The name of this group is the House Ways & Means / Broadband Connectivity committee.

Funding for the e-NC Authority
As far as the e-NC Authority, our priority is to obtain operating funds for the upcoming year so that we are still here to advocate for access on behalf of the citizens. As of June 30, 2009, the e-NC Authority will have depleted almost all of its original private monies. The e-NC Authority cannot continue to operate as it currently does without additional state funding support for the upcoming year. In her version of the budget, Gov. Beverly Perdue has recommended $495,000 recurring for the e-NC Authority’s operations. However, our operating budget is approximately $1 million – this means that the governor’s proposal alone would only cover half of our ability to operate. Of course, we are also requesting funds for connectivity incentive grants, public access/digital literacy training and two new telecenters. Some of these funds could also serve as match for federal stimulus dollars.

Take some time to look over our entire funding request to the N.C. General Assembly. There are bills both in the House (H532) and the Senate (S697) that appropriate funds to the e-NC Authority, in the amounts we have requested. The Senate will put the budget together first this year, likely coming out this week. Then the House will compile their version before both bodies meet in conference committees to negotiate and resolve the differences.

Other Broadband Bills
On our Web site, we have a page that will allow you to track federal and state legislation that affects connectivity. Note in particular, N.C. Senate bill S1004. This legislation is a resurgence of a bill from a few years ago that sought to put restrictions on the ability of local governments to offer telecommunications services. Here is one take on the bill, from a blog that ran last week. The e-NC Authority’s position on this issue is that local governments should have the right to offer broadband services when the service available does not meet the needs of the local community.

In closing, keep in mind that while there are certainly a lot of lobbyists floating around the legislature, it is the constituents around the state that ultimately impact the legislators. So, share your opinions with your delegates. Remind them of who they really work for.

Networking N.C. Rural Health Care

On Nov. 19, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the Rural Health Care Pilot program, which is using $417 million to benefit 69 participants in 42 states and three U.S. territories. The funding is being granted to cover up to 85 percent of costs associated with the following, as they relate to rural health care:

(1) construction of a state or regional broadband network and the advanced telecommunications and information services provided over that network
(2) connecting to Internet 2 or National LambdaRail
(3) connecting to the public Internet.

North Carolina won four of the 69 grants:
Albemarle Network Telemedicine Initiative: max. support $1,583,076
North Carolina Telehealth Network: max. support $6,023,985
Western Carolina University: max. support $3,596,290
University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina: max. support $960,939

To review additional details about these projects, visit:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/rural/rhcp.html
http://www.usac.org/rhc-pilot-program/#

This networking project will promote telehealth and telemedicine access for rural health care providers (public and free clinics) to medical hubs, which are often located in urban areas. The benefits of telehealth and telemedicine applications that ride over broadband facilities are enormous, and a broadband network that connects multiple health care providers, including a significant number in rural areas, would bring those benefits to areas of the country where the need is most acute.

The e-NC Authority has been contracted as of September 2008 to participate as a major part of the program management effort during the network development phase. Be on the lookout for an RFP from the e-NC Authority by mid-late April.

Rural business grows by using technology, through New Ventures Business Development, Inc.

Harold Britt, owner of Britt Insurance Agency, Inc./Nationwide (www.brittinsuranceagency.com) in Anson and Union counties, N.C., talks about the technology applications he learned by working with New Ventures Business Development Inc. (www.nvbdi.org). Using these services, Britt's business is growing and saving money at the same time. New Ventures is a publicly-supported business and technology center that offers free or low-cost counseling for small business owners and entrepreneurs, thereby creating jobs and local wealth in this rural community.

A Bounty of Technology – Served Local and Organic

Recently, some of our staff attended the 2nd Annual Farmer & Chef Banquet on Feb. 26 in Rutherfordton, presented by the Foothills Connect Business and Technology Center in Rutherford County. It was a celebration of the work of Foothills Connect with FarmersFreshMarket.org – a Web-based food product brokerage that links rural Rutherford County farmers with Charlotte-area restaurant chefs.

Imagine that you are 50+ years old – the age of most of North Carolina’s farmers. Your income used to be subsidized by working at the local textile mill; the farm income added an edge you often needed to pay bills and have a reasonably good life.

Now, your income and lifestyle have reversed. The mills are gone, their looms are silent. The silence you now hear is the deafening and panicked anxiety to find a way to still earn a living. What’s left? The farm. Suddenly, you realize that the farm income must justify your primary chance to flourish financially.

You also realize that this might be a blessing in disguise. Through the Foothills Connect Farmer’s Fresh Market program, you are given the opportunity to learn how to use a computer to exchange orders with the Charlotte-area restaurant chefs. Through Isothermal Community College, participants can graduate from the Farmers Adopting Computer Training (FACT) program and then receive a rebuilt computer.

So – back to the farm, up on the tractor. Eureka! Through Foothills Connect, you have started tilling up the land to grow crops being demanded by chefs in the big city. You learn that others are having success with the program too. Down the road, your friend sold 60 pasture-fed turkeys for $100 each. That’s $6,000 for sixty 28lb. turkeys. That has to be a good omen. There’s also the “Kudzu Lady” Edith Edwards, who does untold, beautiful, succulent things with the plant that we so often otherwise grumble about.

At the Feb. 26 banquet, the farmers joined together with state and community leaders, elected officials and the many Charlotte chefs and sous-chefs that participate in the program, including Charlotte Marriott City Center Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Marechal. Chef Liz Rose of Café on the Mall has prepared a sumptuous meal from crops born out of the good earth of Rutherford County. The tables are also festooned with flowers grown in the county.

DINNER:
Red Feather Farm beef patties
Tiny Myrtle Meadows molasses mashed sweet potatoes
Savannah Red’s cornbread, served w/ “Kudzu Lady” kudzu blossom jelly butter
Yoder Farm microgreens and deviled eggs
Spicy Peaceful Valley grit cake
Shiloh Acres braised BBQ pulled chicken
Moonflower Farm Asian microgreens

DESSERT:
Golden Valley honey cake
Baked Limber Twig apples w/ cinnamon

Presiding over the banquet are Chef Marechal and Foothills Connect Executive Director Tim Will. This celebration is the result of their efforts to use technology to connect farmers and chefs – merging each other’s needs with the Internet to create a new way of life for the people of Rutherford County.

FarmersFreshMarket.org continues to pay all participants back in good wages. The farmers love the fresh air. The chefs love the fresh food. Both parties love the smell of money, success and satisfaction. In this project, technology, the land and its people have come together to create new jobs and good food. It is a win-win, especially for our tummies on that particular evening. We noticed more than a few folks going back for second and third helpings.

"Shoot for the Moon:" starting a new business in rural Anson and Union counties, N.C.

Sheri Strawn, owner of Hip Chick Accessories in Anson and Union counties, N.C., tells her story about how her business got started through the affordable support offered at New Ventures Business Development, Inc. (www.nvbdi.org). Strawn believes that rural communities must have local support for entrepreneurs as a key strategy for that area's economic development plan.

Wall Street Journal video - Rural fiber project in Vermont

Lacking broadband infrastructure in Halifax County

Florine Bell, a community organizer in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., explains the value of high-speed Internet services to her area and its ability to impact economic improvement.

Rural community finds success with New Ventures Business Development, Inc.

Ivory Little, proprietor of a forthcoming support home/center for unwed teen mothers in and around Anson County, N.C., talks about how her business plan has come together with vital support from New Ventures Business Development, Inc. in Wadesboro.

The Twittersphere

“As of December 2008, 11 percent of online American adults said they used a site like Twitter or another similar vehicle that allowed them to share updates about themselves or to see the updates of others.” (Twitter and Status Updating, Pew Internet & American Life Project)

For the uninitiated, Twitter is a free micro-blogging/social networking site that imposes a 140-character limit on each individual post or “tweet,” as such bite-sized status updates are called. The phenomenon allows you to give “followers” a real-time update, via computer or a mobile device, about what you’re doing at that very moment. So, let’s say you’re at the gym and you just bench-pressed 300 pounds. Now, who wouldn’t want to hear about that? Or, maybe you find it comforting to tweet when you’re having a bad day. You’re certainly not alone. Twitter is staying mum about the number of Twitterers it has snared, but estimates put the figure at between 4 and 5 million – not bad for a site that launched in 2006. And naysayers swore would never make it.

But what if minutia’s not your thing? Well, if you can get past the frivolity, Twitter has potential beyond its stated purpose. Consider fundraising and emergency notification, for instance.

If you blink, you might miss the fact that Twitter is about community-building, and Twestivals really capitalize on this notion. The 100 percent volunteer-run Twestival concept came about in September 2008 after a group of London Twitterers connected and organized a food drive/fundraising event to help a local homeless charity. Word spread quickly, and Twitterers had a hunch that the micro-fundraising concept could be elevated to affect change on a global level. That hunch was recently tested.

On Feb. 12, 2009, 202 international cities hosted a Twestival to unite the Twitter community in support of charity: water, a nonprofit bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. From Asheville, N.C. to Johannesburg, South Africa and beyond, people gathered for an evening of fun and fundraising. Some sold tickets for entry, while others collected $1 or $2 per participant. In the end, the event raised $250,000, which will be used to fund 55 sustainable water projects and provide clean water for over 17,000 people in Ethiopia, Uganda, and India. The first Twestival-funded well will be drilled in Ethiopia at the beginning of April. Imagine how this concept could be used to support causes and projects in North Carolina’s communities.

On the subject of emergency notification, think missing children. @MissingChildren is a Twitter account that was created by web developer Nate Ritter. The account uses data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to tweet about missing, endangered, and recovered children. Twitter is also being used by some cities and colleges as one part of an overall system to make people aware of crisis situations. It’s quick. It’s to the point. And perhaps most importantly in these economic times, there’s little to no impact on the bottom line.

Lacking broadband infrastructure for Alleghany County (N.C.) school children

Dr. Jeff Cox, superintendent of schools for Alleghany County, N.C., discusses the "digital divide" that he sees for area students and why broadband deployment must be a priority for state government in terms of educational advancement.

Lacking broadband infrastructure in western N.C.

Betty Hurst of western North Carolina's HandMade in America (www.handmadeinamerica.org), explains how craftspeople must have access to high-speed Internet services in order to sustain their small businesses and resultant livelihood.

Do People Even Care about Privacy Anymore?

The September 2008 issue of Scientific American led with the banner question “Will Technology Kill Privacy?” Behind this question are a series of articles that address a growing undercurrent of anxiety felt by many people about their ability to control the amount and type of personal information that is available about them online.

In the provocative opening editorial, John Rennie crystallizes what underpins the uneasiness that many people feel with the information fishbowl we all swim in – the connection between privacy and freedom. He cites an idea posited by English philosopher and ethicist Jeremy Bentham for a new form of prison, the panopticon, an all-seeing place where “inside its walls, convicted prisoners would be exposed to perpetual view from a central tower by an unseen jailer who would supervise their behavior, health and menial labor.” Bentham said that this would be effective because inmates would never know when they were being observed, so that out of uncertainty and fear – they would end up standing watch over themselves.




Bentham’s idea is brought forward and connected to the Internet by David Brin in his book The Transparent Society, in which he argues that “the modern conception of privacy is historically transient and made obsolete by new technology.” In the opening editorial, Rennie notes Brin’s central point, in that the only way to prevent abuses is to require that everyone, including governments, must be equally transparent.

Transparency? The Internet has the corner market on that, especially now with the booming vehicle of social networking. It is startling really, the frank disclosures that populate worlds like Facebook and MySpace. This seems to indicate that that millions of people are on some level, consciously or not, accepting a reduced valuation of privacy. Unchecked, the Internet allows for the reduction of ability to protect our reputations. But one could also argue that the thick and well-established lines between our personal lives, our family lives and our professional lives have quickly eroded – by choice.

Benefits of Personal Communication (via the Web) Seriously Underrated

As we work to get more broadband around the state, and around the country, you often hear about the economic impact of broadband – the jobs made possible through access, the training and educational opportunities, the increased possibilities for local governments and healthcare, etc., etc.

But, in taking a break from all the economic stimulus talk, sometimes it seems we skip over the most fundamental aspect of broadband – simply providing a vehicle for personal communication. While this benefit may seldom come up during policy debates about public funding, it is still of valid importance.

In thinking of how we communicate with colleagues, friends and family, most of us have reached a point where our most constant communication is done over e-mail. It is simple really – by e-mail, we can reach a lot more people, in a lot less time. Do you have famiy or friends overseas or on the other side of the country? Well, you probably use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to talk with them. In this instance, it’s actually better than phone service because folks can use video as well. (Hey – pictures are great, but how else would you have such a great opportunity to see how quickly your nieces are growing?)

Then there’s Facebook. Talk to almost anyone using this and you’ll hear them go wild over how many unexpected (or forgotten, lost) friends they have suddenly and joyfully reconnected with. You now get to easily keep up with each other day-to-day, even if you haven’t actually spoken to them in years! Maybe these examples are too personal, but we would venture to say that many people would give up their televisions or cell phones before giving up their broadband access.

Some experts have argued that Internet-based communication erodes people’s ability to interact well in-person. But the personal communication aspects of broadband rank tremendously high for many people, above and beyond the obvious economic benefits of connectivity. It’s hard to imagine not having broadband access, and even harder to realize that so many people around the state don’t have this communication tool available.

Rural entrepreneur finds success with New Ventures Business Development, Inc.

Sheri Bowers, owner of Bowers Family Studios in Wadesboro, N.C. (Anson County), talks about how her small business got started and why the community must continue to support New Ventures Business Development, Inc. as a key strategy for local economic development.

Broadband in Rural N.C. - Looking at the 2007 numbers

In North Carolina, there are nine telephone membership cooperatives, six privately-held telephone companies, six publicly-held telephone companies and one municipal telephone company. Here’s how their Internet service breaks down:

The telephone membership cooperatives serve approximately 4 percent of the access lines in North Carolina and have made DSL service available to 98 percent of their subscribers (note: a number of them make service available to 100 percent of their subscribers).

The six privately-held companies serve approximately 6 percent of the access lines in North Carolina and make DSL service available to 98 percent of their subscribers.

The one municipal group serves approximately 0.05 percent of the state’s access lines and has made DSL service available to 100 percent of subscribers.

But here’s the real story…

The six publicly-held companies serve approximately 90 percent of the access lines in North Carolina (and actually, two significant companies in that mix serve 88 percent of the lines). Combined, the six publicly-held companies make DSL service available to approximately 80 percent of the access lines in the state. These companies are now headquartered outside of the state and financial decisions on deployment of specific telecommunications services are now mostly made at that corporate level.

There are approximately 600,000 households in North Carolina that do not have access to any type of high-speed Internet service, and most of these households are in rural communities. As an economy, we’ve long-since passed the point where Internet is a luxurious or insignificant pastime for people with disposable income. It is a utility and a basic infrastructure – no different from water, sewer, roads and electricity.

So, how do citizens solve the problem of not having service?

Call customer service?
Many citizens tell us that this doesn’t work, even when they are armed with community petitions that beg and plead for service.

Escalate the issue to someone higher up in the company?
Again, many citizens tell us that this also does not work, but we always suggest that they continue to try.

Call the Utilities Commission?
By law, they don’t regulate Internet services.

What’s left?
Contact your state and federal representatives. They are the only ones that can bring about a change in the way companies operate. (For example, they can provide incentives to nonprofit, private and public sector providers to encourage deployment to homes and businesses.) Always remember that your elected officials are in a position of power – but only by virtue of your vote.

InternetforEveryone.org Town Hall Series Coming to North Carolina

InternetforEveryone.org - a national initiative of groups that are working to bring the benefits of a fast, affordable and open Internet connection to everyone in America - will hold its second town hall meeting on March 7 in Durham. This event is part of a nationwide series designed to give local citizens a seat at the table as new leadership shapes America ʼs broadband future.

WHAT: InternetforEveryone.org Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
WHERE: Durham Marriott Convention Center, 201 Foster St., Durham

High-speed Internet, or "broadband," is becoming a crucial public necessity - but more than 40 percent of all U.S. homes are not connected or use slow "dial-up" technology. To address this digital divide, President Barack Obama has vowed to "expand broadband lines across America," and Congress is poised to spend billions on broadband as part of its economic stimulus bill. InternetforEveryone.org will deliver feedback from the Durham town hall meeting to the Obama administration and Congress as a national guide to building a better Internet.

"Leadership in Washington has made Internet for everyone a national priority," said Timothy Karr, campaign director of Free Press, the organizer of InternetforEveryone.org." But getting everyone connected wonʼt happen overnight. In North Carolina alone, more than 3.5 million citizens are without high-speed access. Building an open, fast, affordable Internet is a process that requires true public participation. Washington must listen to the people of Durham , and others across the country, in order to build an Internet that works for all Americans."

For more information, visit www.InternetforEveryone.org/Events/Durham.

Lacking broadband infrastructure in western N.C.

Andrea R., a telecommunications business consultant in Jackson County, shares her perspective on the need for connectivity in western North Carolina and industry's lack of willingness to provide it. These comments were shared at a public meeting about poor Internet access in North Carolina.

Lacking broadband infrastructure in N.C. - Piedmont Comm. College, Caswell County

Lionell Parker, librarian at Piedmont Community College in Yanceyville, Caswell County, shares his story about the challenges of life without broadband at a public meeting about poor Internet access in North Carolina.

Lacking broadband infrastructure in N.C. - Caswell County

Mary Farmer, a senior citizen in Caswell County, shares her story about the challenges of life without broadband at a public meeting about poor Internet access in North Carolina.