Many communities have seen great improvements in their telecommunications infrastructure over the past five years. We’ve seen streaming video of network TV, MySpace and other international innovations that connect people globally, but in many ways we are still communicating and delivering services within our communities in the same old ways.

The Blandin Foundation designed its new Light Speed Grant Program to help local organizations make use of telecommunications network improvements to reach out in new and exciting ways. Light Speed will provide grants of up to $50,000 for communities, health care providers, schools and others to implement new broadband-intensive applications that reach out to end-users, preferably all the way to the home. Here are some examples of applications that we expect to support:

• Real time videoconferencing from a school to homes to provide instruction to home-bound students, home-schooled students, non-traditional students or other purposes.
• Store and forward video instruction from a school or college to a home or business.
• Electronic medical records, including images, shared between hospitals, clinics and nursing homes within a community or region.
• Real-time videoconferencing between a home health care provider and housebound clients.
• Senior citizen peer support visits via videoconferencing.
• Real time monitoring by corrections officials of persons subject to restrictions.

The RFP will be available very soon on the Blandin Foundation web site. The Foundation will also be providing details on this and another exciting new grant program at regional workshops in May. Stay tuned or contact Bill Coleman at 651-491-2551 or bill@communitytechnologyadvisors.com for more information.