[RTC List] [Fwd: [Wireless Freedom] WillitsOnline receives grant award for rural broadband projects]

[Bob Morse]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[Wireless Freedom] WillitsOnline receives grant award for 
rural broadband projects
Date: 	Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:14:58 -0700
From: 	Mike Ireton <mike at willitsonline.com>
Reply-To: 	wirelessfreedom at willitsonline.com
To: 	wirelessfreedom at willitsonline.com



Dear All,

	I am writing to update everyone on the status of the WillitsOnline
broadband projects targeting Laytonville and Covelo.

	WillitsOnline proposed to deploy an advanced high speed broadband
service to the communities of Laytonville and Covelo, using grant
funding from the California Public Utilities Commission under it's
California Advanced Services Fund program, which provides a %40 subsidy
twords the cost of deploying broadband service in unserved and
under-served areas. Although well received, our application was faulted
for several technical missteps, which included beginning development of
the project before formal approval from the CPUC, and in January we
received notice that we would be receiving only 1/2 of the grant award
and that the CPUC would not approve the Covelo leg of our project due to
our starting too soon without approval. Denying 1/2 of the project
funds, however, would have meant that WillitsOnline may not have been
able to move forward with the project as designed and would have delayed
substantially or shelved the plans altogether considering the current
economic climate.

	We are pleased to announce today that the CPUC has reconsidered and has
made a final decision to award the grant in full, which means that our
proposal will be going forward and that service to those communities
will be moving forward.  WillitsOnline will launch a new web site at a
later date announcing specfic deployment dates, prices, speed plans and
other information as it becomes available. The technology being deployed
will support a number of economical high speed options targeting both
residential and small business users with up to 6mbps / 1mbps, and as
well as additional options for government and corporate users with up to
45mbps symmetrical service.

	We'd like to thank the many individuals who expressed support for our
project, who called, wrote, emailed and signed the petition supporting
the project. We are also thankful to the CPUC for allowing us to
participate in the CASF program and to support broadband in the rural
communities that have for so long been overlooked for investment and
development of this critically needed service.


Mike Ireton
WillitsOnline
707-459-0824





	

	

	



-- 
Do not try to make the creditors stop calling, for that is impossible.
Instead, only try to realize the truth: THERE IS NO PHONE!


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-- 
Bob Morse
Morse Media
Web Development * Web Hosting * Internet Marketing
http://morsemedia.net
707-444-9566
707-496-9191 (cell)
Blog: http://talkingtech.net

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