[RTC List] Free Broadband Money

[Larry Goldberg]

This is really good news! I've been talking with Paul Romero (IT  
director from the Yurok tribe) for years about this project and he's  
been working on this proposal, in one form or another, for over 2  
years now!  He and Peggy O'Neal (Yurok Planning Dept.) deserve a lot  
of credit for getting this done.  This is a really important  
development for our unserved markets (Klamath, Requa and Weitchpec).   
The tribe plans to build transmission towers to reach up the Klamath  
River valley up to Weitchpec - really "out there" by anyone's  
standard!  This network will serve public agencies (health clinics,  
public safety & tribal offices) as well as commercial and residential  
customers (as well as some free public access).  The tribe will likely  
operate their own ISP (in some form) and they plan to provide around 3  
mbps speeds - not bad for such a remote area.

To put things in perspective, when I worked for the tribe (back in '04  
as Economic Development Director) we brought in the first T-1s the  
tribe ever had (in 2004!)  As I recall they were paying over $700 per  
T-1 at that time!  They were at the end of the line to Verizon and  
getting service was no small undertaking.  It's taken 5 years, but  
thanks to their dedicated effort and long term commitment, they are  
going to have a public network now that we should all be jealous of  
ourselves!  This is exactly the kind of network I recommended for our  
region for the first round ARRA funding, but political pressure was  
overwhelming for fiber.  As it stands now, the Yurok tribe will have  
full control over their own broadband destiny - a great vision for all  
of us!

On Nov 13, 2009, at 10:38 AM, William Van Hefner wrote:

> All,
>
> Here's the latest on our tax dollars hard at work... Looks like some  
> local
> projects have been funded.
>
>
>
> AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCES $13.4 MILLION IN COMMUNITY  
> CONNECT
> BROADBAND GRANTS
>
>
> WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
> announced the selection of 22 projects in 10 states to receive $13.4
> million in broadband community connect grant funds.
>
> "The Obama Administration recognizes that modern technology is  
> critical to
> the expansion of business, education, and health care services in  
> rural
> areas and the competitiveness of the nation's small towns and rural
> communities," Vilsack said. "The President and USDA are committed to
> bringing broadband services to communities, including isolated ones,  
> so
> rural residents have access to quality economic, social and  
> educational
> opportunities."
>
> USDA Rural Development's Community Connect program provides financial
> assistance to furnish broadband service in unserved, often isolated,  
> rural
> communities. The grants are used to establish broadband service for
> critical facilities such as fire or police stations, while also  
> providing
> service to residents and businesses. The project must also include a
> community center that provides community residents with free broadband
> service for the first two years.
>
> For example, the Yurok Tribe, located on a reservation along the  
> northwest
> coast of California has been selected to receive a $564,000 grant to
> provide wireless broadband services to the Yurok Reservation. A  
> community
> center will be refurbished to provide free Internet access to tribal
> residents, enabling them to participate in online education and  
> training
> programs. Free Internet access will also be provided to the tribal  
> police
> and volunteer fire departments.
>
> Nexus Systems, Inc. was selected to receive a $924,308 grant to  
> provide
> wireless broadband services to Enterprise, La. The volunteer fire
> department and the community center will receive free broadband  
> service
> for two years. Nexus Systems will also provide the community with
> web-based services such as web hosting and video conferencing  
> services for
> public meetings.
>
> USDA's Community Connect program is making a significant difference in
> rural communities. In 2006, Alaska Power & Telephone Company  
> received a
> $1,031,133 grant to establish a wireless broadband system in the  
> Native
> community of Kasaan. Providing service to the remote, Southeast Alaska
> community required the construction of an antenna system on a  
> mountaintop.
> The grant provided laptop computers and video conferencing services  
> to the
> community center. A server was installed so local residents could  
> store
> personal files. Prior to USDA's funding, the community was served by a
> satellite link that severely limited telecommunications service. The  
> new
> wireless service has improved connectivity and attracted cellular
> telephone companies who are putting in infrastructure for more  
> dependable
> mobile telephone service.
>
> An August 2009 USDA Economic Research Service report supports the idea
> that "investment in broadband Internet access leads to a more  
> competitive
> economy." The report, available at
> http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR78/ERR78.pdf , notes that  
> rural
> communities with broadband Internet access had greater economic growth
> than communities without it. The study also finds that broadband use
> fosters community involvement, enhances the provision of services  
> such as
> health and education and expands household income opportunities.
>
> The following is a complete list of 2009 Community Connect broadband  
> grant
> recipients. Funding of each recipient is contingent upon the recipient
> meeting the conditions of the grant agreement. (Recipient  
> communities in
> parentheses)
>
> Arkansas:
>
> Buford Communications I, LP dba Alliance Communications Network -  
> $681,070
>
> (Rondo)
>
> Buford Communications I, LP dba Alliance Communications Network -  
> $735,020
>
> (Aubrey)
>
> Buford Communications I, LP dba Alliance Communications Network -  
> $667,120
>
> (LaGrange)
>
> California:
>
> ORCA Broadband Inc. - $550,950 (Hornbrook)
>
> Yurok Tribe - $564,000 (Klamath)
>
> Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Indian Reservation -  
> $474,886
>
> (Covelo)
>
> Colorado:
>
> PC Telcorp, Inc. - $402,666 (Sedgwick)
>
> Idaho:
>
> Pend Oreille Valley Network, Inc. - $834,164 (Clark Fork)
>
> Louisiana:
>
> Nexus Systems, Inc. - $924,308 (Enterprise)
>
> Missouri:
>
> Turkeyfoot Construction, LLC, dba Lake Communications - $471,905
>
> (Brownington)
>
> New Mexico:
>
> Agavue, LLC - $550,950 (Manzano)
>
> Agavue, LLC - $550,950 (Los Cerrillos)
>
> Oklahoma:
>
> @Link Services, LLC - $535,998 (Shamrock)
>
> @Link Services, LLC - $577,618 (Kildare)
>
> 3 Brothers Networks LLC - $223,417 (Marble City)
>
> Wichita Online, Inc. - $597,000 (Cooperton)
>
> Wichita Online, Inc. - $498,500 (Yeager)
>
> Wichita Online, Inc. - $498,500 (Clearview)
>
> Texas:
>
> 281 Communications Corporation, Inc. - $601,736 (Lometa)
>
> Virginia:
>
> Inter Mountain Cable, Inc. - $997,015 (Hurley)
>
> The Wired Road Authority - $837,453 (Grant)
>
> Techcore Consultants II, dba Almega Cable - $610,300 (Carbo)
>
> USDA Rural Development's mission is to increase economic opportunity  
> and
> improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development  
> fosters
> growth in homeownership, finances business development and supports  
> the
> creation of critical community and technology infrastructure. Further
> information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural
> Development office or by visiting
> www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm.
>
>
>
> -- 
> William Van Hefner - President
> Vantek Communications, Inc.
> e-mail: editor at humboldtonline.com
> http://www.humboldtonline.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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