report1

appendix_a_1
appendix_a_2
appendix_b_1
appendix_b_2
appendix_b_3
appendix_b_4
AppendixC_D2
AppendixD3_D5
AppendixD6_end

Advertising Examples

Radio PSA (statewide) BROADBAND v1_Radio

Televsision PSA (statewide) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJDW7RxaEsk&list=FLTq7ZthqsOMX8mbLoispMFg&index=8

Newspaper advertisement examples:

• Statewide Wisconsin Agri View 4-26-12
• Community Platteville WI
• Event Wausau WI

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/WI_Broadband 

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced new rules to better target Community Connect broadband grants to areas where they are needed the most. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today’s announcement is one part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy.

“These rules give communities better access to the benefits that broadband service provides,” Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration is working to ensure that rural residents share in the opportunities provided by modern Internet service.”
USDA Rural Development’s Community Connect Grant program serves rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for citizens.
The changes:

• Simplify the application process by requiring a single project summary and map.
• Allow grant applicants to use a USDA web-based mapping tool to define their proposed service area. The old rules did not accommodate some of the most rural communities, which often are not Census-designated places or were not recognized by a commercial atlas.
• Give grant applicants more flexibility on the types of resources, in-kind services and monetary contributions that can be used to meet the 15 percent matching fund requirement.
• Allow USDA to consider giving funding priority to projects in:
• persistent poverty counties;
• communities experiencing population declines;
• the most rural areas.

USDA’s Rural Utilities Service plans to publish information on Community Connect funding opportunities, including application deadlines and the amount of assistance available, in the Federal Register soon.
In addition to Community Connect grants, USDA Rural Development provides loans and loan guarantees to help finance the construction of rural broadband networks. For example, USDA Rural Development awarded a Community Connect grant to the Texas County Rural Area Informational Network (TRAIN) to install and operate a Fiber-to-the-Home network in Raymondville, Texas. The grants helped fund a Community Center called the Public Access Community Room. TRAIN also is providing broadband service to community residents and businesses.
Since its inception, the Community Connect program has funded 229 projects with USDA investments of $122 million. In 2012, USDA assistance led to improved broadband service nationwide for nearly 65,000 rural households, businesses, and community institutions – such as libraries, schools and first responders. Information about the rules is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-05-03/pdf/2013-10502.pdf.

President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government isa strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities.
USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.
USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible.

#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). ]]> http://broadband.uwex.edu/blog/2013/05/usda-announces-new-rules-to-fund-broadband-service-in-unserved-rural-areas/feed/ 0 http://broadband.uwex.edu/blog/2013/04/chippewa-valley-wi-cinc-update-4-30-13/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chippewa-valley-wi-cinc-update-4-30-13 http://broadband.uwex.edu/blog/2013/04/chippewa-valley-wi-cinc-update-4-30-13/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:38:20 +0000 j.smith http://broadband.uwex.edu/?p=5188

Joe and his sidekick from Underground Systems Inc. trenching some fiber high atop the hill at Eagle Point. Notice in the second picture all the water filling in the trench as the grounds are still soaked.

I saw lots of folks at the annual WiscNet FTC conference this past week, that was great to see as there is surely much chat about Community Area Networks (CANs).   I’ve been presenting and/or on a discussion panel at FTC for many years now in regards to Community Area Networks and talking about our developments here in the CINC region. The first year we only had three people show up to that first session (from Madison, who went on to form MUFN [Madison’s Unified Fiber Network]). Each year these presentations draw more interest…. this year there was a ‘CAN Update’ presentation and the room was PACKED!  It was GREAT to hear not only people talking about getting a CAN going but several CANs actually already developed and several in different stages of development.   CINC surely wasn’t the first CAN in the state or U.S. but I think we can all be proud of what we’ve done here and the educating we’ve been willing to pass along, that packed room surely shown it was/is worth our time.  Great job everyone!

As for our current project status….. WE HAVE SHOVELS with DIRT ON THEM!!!  YEEHAW!  They did accomplish some small pieces that needed completion this past week to a few tower sites.  In speaking with CCI Systems and their subcontractor Underground Systems Inc., they will continue with some lighter work in our region next week and are expecting to be out with bore rigs the week after as they work around the road bans.

Thanks to the work of a volunteer Technology Advisory Committee, created in response to the original issue, Door County has had some fairly significant telecommunications infrastructure and service upgrades, and is now positioned to offer excellent telecommunications services to the business community, residents and visitors.

Read more about how they did it in their guide, ”Creating a Technology Advisory Council,” by DCEDC Economic Development Manager Sam Perlman.

Scott and Dave attaching pipe to a bridge from a suspension arm of a truck. Chippewa Valley WI CINC

It has been quite some time since my last update and I promise you it has not been because we have had nothing going on with the grant, it has been just the opposite.  We only have a few months left to the deadline of our grant and there is still much to do, everyone has been working non-stop to complete what can be completed before the ground thaws and we have more.   Speaking of ground thaw…. this week last year we were already installing new fiber infrastructure!!!  …not so much this year;we are hoping the spring thaw happens soon.

With fiber construction we haven’t been able to work installing new underground facilities but we have been able to work on bridge  attachments and splicing.   We had 2 bridge attachments in our area and both have been completed (inside Spooner and path to Beaver Creek Reserve).       

Bob ‘our favorite slicer’ doing what he does best

As for fiber splicing it has been going non-stop from last summer.  Splicing and patch panel work has been completed from Spooner all the way back to Chippewa Falls on everything that was installed last year.  Now there is only a few things left to the north with construction by the bridge that was just finished and then fiber testing/labeling.  The testing and labeling will begin next week and hopefully finish soon after for northern areas.   There is still much splicing to happen in the Eau Claire area and also to the east as pieces are installed there, for example to the new tower sites.   Again one hindrance for splicing is the large amounts of snow and frozen ground in the area. If you can imagine, it sometimes can take them several hours to first find a handhole under the snow (can’t remember where we put them!) , remove the snow, then thaw it enough to get the lid open.  In the summer it would only take minutes to do what is now taking much longer.

Here are a few pictures for you, Brunswich, Augusta and Wilson:

As for the network electronics several engineers have been working non-stop to plan, configure and deploy hardware.  We are now at a point where all the engineers are engaged and making the original visions become reality…it’s pretty exciting to see it all begin to work.

“The stories will surprise you, tug on your heartstrings and fill you with pride in the people, small businesses and communities of our great state,” says Ray Cross, chancellor of UW Colleges, which includes 13 freshman-sophomore campuses and UW Colleges Online, and UW-Extension, which provides education and outreach through Cooperative Extension, continuing education, entrepreneurship and economic development activities, and Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.

UW-Extension’s broadband work in the Chippewa Valley is featured under the title, “Broadband: Sowing the Seeds of Change”.

Attendees will leave this two-day session comfortable talking about broadband:

• How broadband is defined and what terms are used in talking about broadband
• The role broadband plays in economic and community development
• The social and economic impact of the “digital divide”
• A simple understanding of how broadband ranks in Wisconsin, the U.S. and the world
• How broadband can enhance and streamline UW-EX work and engagement with communities, families, youth, and agriculture

The boot camp will be held at the Pyle Center, Madison.

Download a one page (PDF)_boot camp info sheet

For more information contact Karn Litsheim (karn.litsheim@uwex.edu) 608-890-4253

While these interactive maps are a huge improvement over the data we had available the last few years, they really don’t inform the most important question: Are businesses and residents getting the level of connectivity they need at affordable prices?

The  PSC-W  has launched statewide broadband demand surveys for residents and businesses that get at the heart of this question. People may not necessarily know what speeds they are getting or even how much they are paying for their internet service, but they do know whether or not their broadband options are meeting their needs. UW-Extension is assisting this effort by encouraging our constituent groups to participate in these short surveys for residents and businesses. The data is then mapped and will clearly indicate where the market is being met and where we have pockets of under-served and un-served residents and businesses. This data will also be shared with broadband providers in the area.

The deadline for this survey is July, 2013.

*If you know someone with interest in the survey and no access to internet, please share the print surveys with them:

• Residential Survey
• Business survey

University Wisconsin-Extension
Center for Community Technology Solutions

660 W. Washington Ste. 309, Madison WI 53703

Web: http://broadband.uwex.edu
Twitter @WI_Broadband

Karn.Litsheim@uwex.edu
Phone 608-890-4254  | Toll Free: 1-855-306-8050 | Fax: 608-890-1357

The Center for Community Technology Solutions is currently hosting community listening sessions, bringing together community leaders and stakeholders to identify broadband/technology concerns, issues, and solutions to help distinguish the kinds of resources communities need to advance local broadband connectivity.

Find more information on the listening sessions here or contact us today to set a listening session date: Karn Litsheim 608-890-4253.