ANPI and Vecima Networks featured this Webinar to discuss broadband applications and sustainable business opportunities for rural telco’s exploring some of the business and technology options. Frank Ohrtman recently completed writing $27 million worth of Broadband Stimulus grants for entities who will compete with rural telcos, and shared his insights from that experience in this Webinar. He notes that wireless broadband enables: * A cost per rural household reached (a prominent question on the application) of only a few hundred dollars (compare with FTTH at a few thousand dollars per household reached); * Voice services that qualify for USF funds you might be receiving; and * “Shovel ready” deployment schedules that cover thousands of square miles in less than a year. About the Speaker: Frank Ohrtman has almost 20 years experience in telecommunications and wireless applications. He is a former Naval Intelligence Officer (1981–1991) who specialized in electronic warefare. Frank is the president of WMX Systems, LLC, a Denver, Colorado-based consulting and systems integration firm. A former employee of Lucent Technologies, his wireless consulting clients include national governments, tier one as well as rural telephone companies, municipalities, school districts and wireless broadband vendors. Frank wrote The WiMAX Handbook: Building 802.16 Wireless Networks for McGraw-Hill in 2005. He holds a master’s degree in telecommunications from Colorado University. He is currently compiling grant applications made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

1. BIP/BTOP & the Rural Telco Threats and Opportunities

2. Ohrtman farm near Ringsted, Iowa Ohrtman farm near Pomeroy, Iowa

8. Broadband Mapping?

10. Attachment K: $1 service/$3 subsidy Local Voice Service 0 0 13560 38974 30123 32668 31596 Broadband Data 0 0 115500 662720 2E+06 3E+06 4E+06 Universal Service Fund 0 0 22800 93600 85200 90000 84000

11. BIP Eligibility Map: non-pink is eligible for BIP grant/loan

12. Hypothetical Example Calhoun County Iowa • 570 square miles • 4,500 households

13. One base station covers all of Calhoun County Base station on grain elevator

16. Wireless: “shovel ready” projects?

27. Previous impact of wireless: Telcos losing landlines at 7%/year

28. Its not just the big city...