Webinar on Access to Broadband

June 13, 2012

Moderated by: Diane CherryInstitute for Emerging Issues

Webinar Instructions•All participants have been muted to avoid echo on the call.•We are taking questions throughout the presentation, so please use the chat feature.• If your question is for a particular panelist, please let us know in your question.• If your question is not answered in this webinar please send it in and we will get them answered and sent back out to all participants.

Outline• IEI Overview• Who is Gen Z & Why Focus on Gen Z? • Panelists & Discussion

1. Angie Bailey, Director, NC Broadband, North Carolina Department of Commerce

2. Hunter Goosmann, Executive Director, ERC Broadband

3. Ron Walters, Executive Director, Pangaea

4. Gail Roper, Chief Information & Community Relations Officer, City of Raleigh

5. Aly Khalifa, President, Gamil Design, Co-founder, Designbox and SPARKcon

Institute for Emerging Issues

•Established in 2002 •Housed at NC State University•Dedicated to seeding innovations through

civic engagement, cooperative leadership and informed problem-solving in education, health, the natural and built environments, and the economy

Who is Gen Z?

•Latter half of the millennial generation born between 1990 and 2002

•They will be 18 to 30 in 2020

•1.5 million Gen Zers in N.C.

•Ethnically Diverse

•Digitally/Technology savvy

•Globally Aware

Why Focus on Gen Z?•These youth grew up in an age when the Internet always existed.

•As an example: •Of teens aged 13-18, 93 percent go online on a regular basis, and 74 percent have broadband in their own home.

•Teachers that facilitate peer learning through technology and put emphasis on critical thinking will produce graduates ready to take on innovation.

Eight Ideas Generated at Forum

1.Rethink standardize testing2.Cultivate mentorships3.Emphasize public speaking and conflict

management skills4.Invest in Technology5.Entrepreneurial Education6.Universal wireless/broadband access7.Promote service-learning8.Teach risk taking

Panelists & Discussion

Angie Bailey, Director, NC Broadband North Carolina Department of Commerce

•Overview of broadband in North Carolina.

•Differences in technology types.

•Technical assistance directors & coverage areas.

Cisco's Visual Networking Index Forecast1. More devices/More connections:

• 18.9 billion network connections by 2016 vs. 10.3 billion in 2011

2. More Internet users: • By 2016, 3.4 billion projected Internet users, about 45 %

of the world's projected population

3. Faster broadband speeds: • Average fixed broadband speed is expected to increase

nearly fourfold, from 9 Mbps in 2011 to 34 Mbps in 2016.

4. More video

5. Wi-Fi growth: • By 2016, over half of the world's traffic is expected to

come from Wi-Fihttp://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/internet-traffic-explode-thank-your-phone-tablet-802896

Projected Internet Growth

ARRA funding for broadband improvements• Projects to be completed in 2013.

• Over $250m awarded in NC including significant middle mile infrastructure, FTTH projects.

National Broadband Plan released by FCC http://www.broadband.gov/ • Goal No. 1, next decade: At least 100 million U.S.

homes should have affordable access to speeds of at least 100 Mbps up and 50 Mbps down

• Goal No. 3, next decade: Every American should have affordable access to robust broadband service, and the means and skills to subscribe if they so choose.

Part of National Broadband Plan Implementation:• Reform of the Universal Service Fund – to include

broadband

Key Federal Initiatives

• Each state collects data for National Broadband Map http://broadbandmap.gov/ NC Broadband Map: www.ncbroadband.gov

• Household availability data is collected by combination of census block, street segment or address-level data, in accordance with NTIA national mapping program

• NC Spring 2012 Data Collection: % of NC Households with broadband available:

*99% at speeds of 768kbps down, 200 up*94% at speeds of 3mbps down, 768 up

Calculations include: DSL, cable modem, fiber, fixed wireless. Fiber coverage estimated at < 3%.

Broadband Availability in NC

Last Mile – unserved pockets• Unserved number > estimates due to census block granularity• Most pockets close to existing infrastructure.• Those unserved after stimulus projects built out unlikely to find

easy solutions• NC does have significant middle mile resources to support

solutions

Broadband Speeds, Capacity, TechnologiesDeployment costs for higher bandwidth technologies, limited spectrum, data caps (estimated bb data transfer for Netflix movie: 0.3 GB – 2.3 GB (HD)/hour)1 GB = 1024 MB

“Strategic Bandwidth Advantage”“Big broadband” for economic competitiveness, application development

Broadband Adoption, Digital Literacy, Relevancy Gap2011 NC Citizen Survey (www.ncbroadband.gov): Citizens who use the Internet Anywhere: Educ. Attainment: Less than High School: 43%, College Degree 94%

What Should We Focus On?Key Challenges

Sample MapBroadband Availability Data – Coverage versus Households

.

NC Broadband, NC Department of Commerce

.

Key Issues:• Understand broadband coverage (last-mile) and middle mile

resources • Consider undertaking more granular citizen surveys– to identify

pockets of demand• Know your local broadband providers• Inquire about future deployment• Look at: (1) How many public Internet access sites are available in

your community? (2) What digital literacy resources are available in your community?

• Encourage broadband adoption• Encourage a broadband focus for your community

www.ncbroadband.gov (“My County”, NC Broadband Map)

Community/County-Level Broadband Planning Efforts

Panelists & Discussion

Hunter Goosmann, Executive Director, ERC Broadband

•Overview of how North Carolina has spent its stimulus money

•Role of MCNC as the state’s IT backbone

•Regional work of the ERC

ERC SUMMARY• Regional middle mile network and

leader in network connectivity• Supports education, government,

healthcare, and economic development

• Expand regional fiber optic infrastructure and work with providers to expand coverage into underserved areas

WHO

WHAT

HOW

• Non-profit network dedicated to supporting Western North Carolina• 500+ mile network between Franklin and headed to Boone• Asheville Point of Presence and 3000 sq ft data center• Partner to NOAA / National Weather Service / National Climatic Data Center• One of Four Top Tier providers of NEXRAD weather data for the country

ERC SUMMARY

BTOP Stimulus Summary – June 2012

* Golden LEAF supported project with $24 million matching funds * Total $144 million project* Approx 2500 miles fiber * Impacts 69 counties (67 underserved) * Serve needs of CAIs* Goal is to increase capacity and lessen access price * Goal to expand private sector partnership

See: http://www.ercbroadband.org/index.php/btop https://www.mcnc.org/btop

Panelists & Discussion

Ron Walters, Executive Director, Pangaea

•Overview of how Polk and Rutherford counties brought broadband to their area

•Lessons learned

.

Mission:  PANGAEA Internet’s nonprofit mission is to deliver affordable, reliable connectivity and services for our region.  This mission will enhance economic development, improve the quality of life, and create a broad platform of innovation enabling underserved areas.

• Polk County Community Foundation

• Polk County Government & Schools

• Rural Internet Access Authority (e-NC Authority)

• Rutherford County Government and Schools

• AdvantageWest

• Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

• Golden Leaf Foundation• Cooper-Riis Healing Farm• Facebook• Ann L. Turner & Geoffrey

M. Tennant Foundation

•

Funding PartnersSince 2003, received more than $3M in funding:

Network

Services

• Traditional internet bandwidth (unlimited speeds)• Education• Health Care• Government• Economic Development• Wholesale to Residential Internet Service Providers

• Wide area fiber optic networks (e.g., school, medical, legal networks)

• Fiber leasing

Customers: 85 customers with more than 130 locations in Polk and Rutherford Counties• Education

• Polk and Rutherford County Schools• Thomas Jefferson and Lake Lure Classical

Academies• Isothermal Community College – Polk and

Rutherford• Government

• Polk and Rutherford County Governments• Towns of Lake Lure, Forest City, Rutherfordton,

and Tryon

• Health Care• St. Luke’s Hospital• Rutherford Regional Medical Center• Medical offices, pharmacies, health clinics

• Commercial• Upgrade from DSL, Cable Modem, or T-1 service• Huge impact for economic development

infrastructure• Residential Internet Service Providers

• Skyrunner

Customers

• Renovated 1920’s Brick Schoolhouse• Agricultural Development, Farmland Preservation,

Education, Community Service, Business Development

• 10 PANGAEA Fiber Optic Customers• Spotlight: Turner HD Media

Case StudyMill Spring Agricultural Development Center

Impact

• Nearly 200 miles of fiber in two counties• Extremely reliable network:

• Two downstream internet bandwidth providers• Diverse fiber routes to Charlotte• Back up equipment and power sources• Local support on call 24x7

• Sustainable with strong positive cash flow and substantial cash reserve

Impact

• Very low cost structure• Non profit w/very small staff• Capital costs funded through grants and partner

funding• Disciplined focus on bandwidth and transport only

• Customized bandwidth pricing less than 50% vs. competition

• Economic development and job growth, including use of local subcontractors

• Community owned non-profit that is focused on the community, not shareholders

Panelists & Discussion

Gail Roper, Chief Information & Community Relations Officer, City of Raleigh

•The City of Raleigh’s IT plan including the Digital Connectors program

Panelists & Discussion

Digital Connectors

•Free program founded by One Economy.

•Teaches digital literacy skills to youth ages 14-21 from low income households.

•Participants take skills they learn in the one year program and then train family and friends.

More information: http://www.govtech.com/education/Raleigh-NC-Program-Makes -Teens-Tech-Gurus.html

Panelists & Discussion

Aly Khalifa, President, Gamil DesignCo-founder, DesignboxCo-founder, SPARKcon

•Open source pledge to donate bandwidth to achieve City of Raleigh IT program goals

Questions?

Please feel to ask any questions using the chat feature.

www.emergingissues.org

Please send any unanswered questions to:Diane Cherry

Institute for Emerging Issuesddcherry@ncsu.edu

919-513-7072

Interested in other ways to invest in Gen Z? Our next webinar is on July 11th at 3:00 pm on communication skills.