[RTC List] Rural Broadband Stimulus - Digital Redwoods

[Sean McLaughlin]

Aloha Folks -

Sorry to miss the special BB stimulus briefing today by Humboldt Area
Foundation / Redwood Coast Rural Action.  (Thanks to RTC for the Wi-Fi
at ACV for this connection in my way to DC!)

Broadband development is important work and Access Humboldt is very
much engaged to support regional collaborations that will attract
Federal (ARRA) stimulus funding for broadband access to serve public,
education and government purposes.  We're working the DC contacts -
and special Thanks to US Rep. Mike Thompson for supporting the
"Digital Redwoods" concept and our work on this effort!

In December 2008 Access Humboldt initiated "Digital Redwoods" as a
concept for the overall broadband deployment/demand/adoption efforts
for the North Coast region.  Current information about this effort
will be available online at http://digitalredwoods.net.

Digital Redwoods is designed to leverage the important Redwood Coast
Connect project that spent over a year on broadband demand research
and mapping in our region - RCC's academic report is now available
online at redwoodcoastconnect.humboldt.edu.  In March/April 2009, RCC
launched a "phase 2" project proposal for additional research and
planning for middle mile fiber deployment.

Digital Redwoods is supportive of the ongoing RCC efforts and is
designed to incorporate the RCC (fiber middle mile) component in a
comprehensive regional deployment/demand/adoption proposal being
developed to serve the four Counties (Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity and
Del Norte), the region's four Offices of Emergency Services (OES),
four County Offices of Education, along with Tribes, a dozen
incorporated Cities, Redwoods Community College District (College of
the Redwoods), libraries, special districtsHSU, and community based
non-profit organizations.

In sum, Digital Redwoods hopes to build upon, implement and expand the
Redwood Coast Connect research/mapping project and incorporate both
fiber and wireless deployments (for middle mile and last mile) with
publicly owned networks reaching all public, education and government
facilities along with demand and adoption efforts for targeted
communities in the region.

We look forward to working with RTC and others to develop the most
intelligent collaborations and proposals to meet local needs and
interests.

Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more information about
Digital Redwoods.

Sean McLaughlin
Executive Director
Access Humboldt
P.O. Box 157, Eureka, CA 95502
tel: 707-476-1798
dir: 707-476-2873
fax: 707-476-1702
cel: 707-616-2381
e: sean at accesshumboldt.net
http://accesshumboldt.net

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