IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

According to a recent Brookings Institute Metro Policy Paper, in less than two decades broadband access has become one of the foundations of the American economy, joining clean water, waste management and energy as essential infrastructure.

In California, the General Planning process provides guidance on how communities should plan for and implement essential infrastructure. The Governor's Office of Planning and Research published General Planning Guidance, August 2017, outlining critical planning elements for land use, housing, circulation, and conservation, with recommended elements for safety, air quality, and environmental justice.

“Today, America’s wireless industry continues to grow based on consumer demand that’s at an all-time high, and the staggering growth of mobile broadband traffic has created an explosion in new services, new devices, content and applications,” former Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell told the symposium.

The percentage of households that have "broadband" available to them has inched up from 96.6 percent in January to 97.1 percent now, according to Connect Minnesota, the organization charged with providing the best data on the subject. That means the number of households pretty much forced to deal with dial-up service or satellite wireless is down to 61,000.

Enter telemedicine, which allows physicians and other health care providers to consult with one another; diagnose and monitor patients via videoconference; and share data, such as digital images, lab results and medical records, in real time, using a private high-speed broadband network. Thanks to telemedicine, a stroke specialist can observe a patient who is 100 miles away, helping to provide needed care and save his life.

A recent report released by the president's Broadband Opportunity Council made recommendations that would reduce the nation's digital divide.

Broadband is becoming a utility one step at a time. A White House report released last month declared broadband a necessity for Americans and recommended four actions for the federal government to execute in the next 18 months.

Federal funding for broadband intended to expand telehealth will go a long way toward getting more people the care they need, but communities must create strategies tailored to their needs to make the most of it.

U.S. senators want to make $2 billion available to communities, including urban cities, to facilitate deployment of broadband and telehealth together. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is lobbying — along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Angus King Jr., I-Maine, and John Boozman, R-Ark. — to allocate this money to the next COVID-19 relief bill for broadband expansion. The goal is to append the funds to the amount that’s currently controlled by the Federal Communication Commission’s Rural Health Care (RHC) Program. In Congress, representatives are pushing for $86 billion for high-speed broadband as part of a five-year infrastructure investment.

"Wired for Success" is being hosted Monday by nonprofit Connect Nevada and the governor's Nevada Broadband Task Force.

The goal is to bring state and local leaders and broadband providers together to discuss how to expand high-speed Internet access and why the technology is critical to Nevada's economic future.

“We’re ensuring that rural citizens in Northern California will not be disenfranchised in terms of essential needs for the 21st century,” said Tom West, consortium manager with Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, the group that submitted the grant application on behalf of NECCC and UCCC.

As Texans prepare to celebrate Veterans Day, the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) is calling for expanded broadband Internet access that will help military families stay connected with loved ones who are serving our nation from around the world.

The need for increased broadband access for Texas’ military communities is vital as Texas hosts more active duty military personnel than any other state. Unfortunately, many Texas families without a home broadband connection experience communication barriers that prevent face-to-face interactions with their loved ones serving in the military.

This, according to a new survey conducted online in July by the Governing Exchange, the research arm of Governing. More than 125 senior managers in state and local government were polled, and about 70 percent said they believe fiber networks should be considered a public good that government regulates and sometimes runs, similar to water, sewer and other utility services.

Though connecting all rural areas with broadband is a national priority, why would anyone get fired up about blanketing this particular region with wireless broadband? For Fresno CIO Carolyn Hogg, the answer has to do with olive trees as wireless subscribers, tracking tomatoes from vine to dinner plate, self-driving tractors, and agricultural research and education that could boost the state’s economy and help feed the world. Hogg, along with a coalition of federal, state, private-sector and local interests, are working to secure high-speed wireless broadband to take the region’s agriculture to the next level.

The Broadband Adoption Model eHealth Communities Awards are designed to assist California communities in becoming best-practice examples in the use and integration of technology to improve health and health care for local residents. The communities were identified through a rigorous selection process that required each applicant to meet certain criteria and demonstrate collaborative ideas and activities to help address complex health-delivery issues. The funds will be used to acquire eHealth technologies and telehealth equipment to connect with the broadband system that CTN is now establishing around the state.

The new South Bay Fiber Network (SBFN) has been launched through a 15-city municipal partnership forged by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG).

The network enables the municipalities and other public agencies in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County to access a secure 1-gigabyte (GB) network for US$1,000 per month, which is calculated to be around half the cost of typical commercial rates in the area as well as being faster.

An effort is under way to bring high-speed Internet service to rural and remote parts of the San Joaquin Valley that until now have been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.

But once these areas have access to the service, then what?

Enter the San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium. The group is using $450,000 in state funding to help rural homes and businesses take advantage of the service.

Network is expected to aid the development of smart city applications

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) in Los Angeles has established a low-cost fibre-optic network to improve regional transportation.

It says the South Bay Fiber Network (SBFN) enables local municipalities and other public agencies to access a high-speed, 1 gigabyte (GB) network for $1,000 per month.

To further the City of Menifee’s “Smart Cities” initiative, the City has partnered with Magellan Advisors to develop a Smart City and Broadband Master Plan identifying existing city and privately-owned broadband assets and determine opportunities for the expansion of the existing network and support of smart city development.

Magellan Advisors’ gap analysis and master plan will lay out the strategies for Menifee to develop its municipal and community smart city and broadband initiatives, including funding strategies, policies, and a comprehensive vision.

Solano County, along with Contra Costa and Alameda counties, is in line waiting to be approved for funding from the California Public Utilities Commission, which is allocating $125 million to create two new programs, a revolving loan fund for capital infrastructure and the Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Account.

The account will provide grant funds to eligible consortia to cover the cost of deployment activities other than the capital costs of facilities.

California County Tries to Roll Out Wireless Broadband to Farms

The Original Story: In July 2012, Government Technology wrote about a coalition of federal, state and local interests, including Fresno County, working to secure high-speed wireless broadband to take California’s San Joaquin Valley agricultural sector to the next level. Wireless broadband would allow farmers to put moisture sensors into the soil beneath individual trees, like olives and almonds, so that each tree gets exactly the right amount of water. Wireless technology also would allow farmers to incorporate GPS into their operations.

Through a $32 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant and $8 million in matching funds, the OpenCape project has the funding it needs and is on pace to meet the Jan. 31 completion date set by the grantees.

Once the project is completed, schools could share faster Internet services and common apps.

As broadband expansion efforts increase nationwide, digital equity advocates are working to ensure that urban communities are included. New federal funding opportunities are adding fuel to these efforts.

Urban communities face unique challenges in effectively gaining broadband access, which primarily involve affordability and literacy.

With the continuing rise of digital inclusion efforts nationwide, advocates are working hard to fill the gaps in rural communities through partnerships and other measures. And as government agencies plan for federal broadband distribution opportunities, there are steps to take to ensure digital inclusion efforts reach urban communities, those working in the space contend.