Earlier this week I attended the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) Conference for BTOP awardees and interested parties in DC. It was great to compare what we’re doing and hearing in Minnesota with what’s going in other areas.

Two ironies play into the slowness of my posting this update on the conference. First, I couldn’t get online in the conference room. Second, it has taken me days to upload the video. I even tried uploading form the library and it wasn’t much faster. So I have a new vigor for broadband speed and ubiquity!

The SHLB (Shell-bee) Coalition focuses, as you might imagine, anchor institutions. John Windhausen, SHLB Coalition Coordinator mentioned that the BTOP and BIP programs will help provide broadband connections to about 20% of all anchor institutions across the country, which of course means that another 80% will still need to improve their connections. Sharing notes on what’s working well with the 20% should help inform the 80%. Because while the Congressional perspective panel mentioned that so far there seems to be bipartisan support for the ARRA funded projects, the hope for more funding any time soon is limited, at best.

There were many comments and questions about legislative support for the programs – especially given that some legislators want to make oversight even more stringent. However, NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling assured attendees that there are already measures in place and so not much should change. Attendees and program presenters supported that perspective with everyone agreeing that while the oversight has been stringent that the federal support has been helpful in making sure everything gets counted correctly.

Strickling mentioned that there have been two projects that have dropped out of the program; they dropped out of their own volition. The NTIA would have liked to encourage them to stay but that didn’t happen. The funds for the programs that have been discontinued will go back to the Treasury – that is a nonnegotiable aspect of the project and always has been.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui also spoke. She voiced support for updating the Universal Service Funds and announced that she will reintroduce legislation to expand Lifeline and Link-Up to include broadband. Her comments led nicely to the final speaker Carol Mattey from the FCC.

I tried to get a lot of Mattey’s presentation on video because it’s a topic I find interesting and potentially confusing. I find it confusing because I often hear people mention details that seem to have deep meaning to me that go by unnoticed. She spoke about the history of Universal Service Funds – especially the high cost programs and the potential changes brought through the Connecting America Fund.

I heard her allude to connections of less than 768 K to define unserved. Earlier Strickling alluded to the 4 Mbps. So this is why I get mired in details – does unserved still mean access to less than 768? Does that mean 4 Mbps is underserved? And if that is the definition – why would we strive to get people from unserved to underserved? What not leapfrog to served?

In the end I felt pretty good about how Minnesota is doing. (The folks from Anoka/Zayo were there presenting. I plan to post their presentation separately because it’s such a nice update on their project.) Attendees were very happy to get a chance to talk to each other about their projects – when I mentioned MIRC (Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities) and folks were envious of our ongoing communication among that group. In fact between the Blandin Conferences, Task Force report and Connect Minnesota maps – Minnesota does a good job talking, measuring and collaborating to move forward.

And everyone is a little further behind than they want to be – especially for deployment projects. Things just take longer than you expect.

I have more detail notes for folks who are interested (below). I also have video, which I shall continue to update as bandwidth allows.

PANEL #1: SUCCESSFUL PCC & SBA PROJECTS

We need to focus not only on access for individuals. We need to focus on metrics. Public-private partnerships are valuable.

New Mexico – they are creating digital inclusion classes (basic and business). They are convening groups throughout the state culminating in a state summit. They are tracking attendees to various activities; working on adopting a state broadband plan, measuring uptick in adoption. They visit a community for 3 months – bringing Internet 101 and business. Most businesses have broadband (80%), many residents want it but can’t get it. Most folks learn about broadband at the library. Outreach to telecom providers has been less successful.

New York – Worked directly with libraries. Libraries were invited to submit proposals to provide access, workforce training and/or digital literacy. Created 30 public computer centers and 5 e-mobile centers. Their e-mobile centers includes laptops, wifi and a trainer. Access to technology means access to broadband and a computer. Broadbandexpress@yourlibrary – a repository of tools for libraries – including digital literacy & workforce development curricula. Also offer training (webinars) to CTC personnel. http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdeve/nybbexpress

Boston – Finding a way to make sure that every family in Boston has access to a computer, broadband and training. Live, learn, earn play… They have a train the trainer model with a blog to keep in touch. They collaborate with other public computer grantees in Boston. They work with Comcast – $10.95/month for free/reduced lunch folks. Families can buy netbook for $50 (after receiving training.) Cost for the program is about $550/family. The program has strengthened links to anchor institutions (including families) as well as broadband.

Ohio – They are a broadband provider. They train folks with 24 hours of digital literacy training and meaningful use. They work on connectivity in home and in rural communities. They have developed curriculum using creative commons license http://www.connectcommunity.org The schools have an executive on loan – (Tom Miller, speaker). Families with students can use Net trekker – OneCommunity developed a training segment to teach parents how to use Net trekker. It will be helpful since they are having a lottery for public schools.

PANEL #2: SUCCESSFUL BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS & ANCHOR INSTITUTION BENEFICIARIES

Some overall notes –

Public-private partnerships have been a mainstay of all projects. All of the projects are providing open access to some degree or another – that lends to affordability of the project and I suspect sustainability. The funding has been primarily for middle mile (with these projects). Another contributing factor to sustainability is the reduction of costs in others areas one network id deployed.

Anoka County was included in the presentation. I am actually going to do a separate post on their presentation because it is such a nice update on the program.

And video to a response on a question on Open Access:

PANEL #3: CONGRESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE BTOP PROGRAM
Moderator: Paula Boyd, Microsoft
Daniel Sepulveda, Senior Advisor to Senator John Kerry
Matthew Hussey, Advisor to Senator Olympia Snowe
Shawn Chang, Communications & Technology, House Committee on Energy & Commerce

Here’s video on what folks thought (and think) about BTOP from a policy/legislative perspective. Interesting that one mentioned jobs first; the others mentioned broadband. Maybe that’s because of the setting – but interesting nonetheless.

Someone asked about quality over quantity – is the goal to build any kind of broadband with an eye to improvement later? The answer was yes and of course cost played into it. I thought the answer was interesting – but I still have reservations about a Policy that shoots for 100 Mbps for most – and 4 Mbps for the rest.

There were questions about the oversight of the programs. One interesting fact – any money that is returned will go directly back to the Treasury. There is little to no flexibility about it coming back for more/other programs.

Also questions on whether the Feds might replicate the program. In the short term the answer was a pretty definitive no. But in the long term it seemed as if the policymakers thought BTOP/BIP was a good idea but that they’d need to see the results before making decisions on future funding. The Universal Service Fund was discussed as another (better?) option for future broadband funding.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Franklin Room
The Honorable Doris O. Matsui, U.S. Congresswoman
representing California’s 5th District
Introduction by John Windhausen, Coordinator, SHLB Coalition
The Honorable Lawrence Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications & Information, Administrator of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)
Introduction by Karen Perry, Senior Program Officer, U.S. Libraries Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

PANEL #4: MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS Franklin Room
Moderator: Joanne Hovis, Columbia Telecommunications Corp., President-Elect, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)
Mike Smeltzer, UC2B, Champaign-Urbana, IL
Lisa Blair, Capital Solutions, (Advisor to two Florida BTOP projects)
David Soloos, Clackamas County, Oregon
Lori Sherwood, OneMaryland

This discussion went very differently from what I expected. The moderator wondered if the community representatives found this to be a very political issue. They didn’t. Rather they found that by focusing on the economic development payoff on broadband that they could get bipartisan support from local policymakers and elected officials.

Folks were all about metrics – having metrics to provide the case that broadband was a good investment and that broadband was a good use of ARRA funding. That means counting the jobs created to deploy the programs but also jobs created through the enhanced infrastructure.

One great story – In Urbana it sounds as if many churches have jumped on the broadband bandwagon. They are planning a Cyber Sunday where many pastors will be preaching about the benefits of broadband from the pulpit. I love that!

CLOSING ADDRESS: Franklin Room
Carol Mattey, Deputy Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

I tried to get this on video.