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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

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...

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.