This document discusses broadband and the potential role of local governments. It defines broadband and describes key policy issues. Local governments are well-positioned to help expand broadband access and adoption due to their commitments to quality of life, economic development, and public services. Examples are given of municipalities providing broadband infrastructure for applications like automated metering and improved public safety communications. The document provides an overview of federal broadband stimulus programs and potential initial steps for local governments.

1. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband in Delaware:
The Local Government Role
October 26, 2009
Troy Mix

2. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
The Agenda
• Define “broadband”
• Describe broadband policy issues
• Introduce potential local government roles

3. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband is Infrastructure
• Telecommunications solution that is…
• Fast and Always On
At least 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream and
200 kbps upstream, per the ARRA guidelines
• Feature Rich
• Multi-Platform
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
Cable
Wireless
Fiber Optic
Broadband Over Power Line (BPL)

4. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
How Fast Is Fast?
1,463
801178080
81380
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Seconds Approximate Timeto Download a
10 MB File:
Assuming PerformanceatLow End of Advertised
Speeds
DSL
Cable
Fiber Optic
BPL
Wi-Fi
Cellular
Satellite
Dial-up

5. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
How Fast is Broadband?

6. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Speed and Stability Enable Applications
• Household and Community
• eHealth
• Education and Distance Learning
• Business
• Storage and Communication
• Telecommuting
• Tourism Amenity
• Government
• Public Safety
• Wireless Communication

7. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband Platforms
• Cable
– e.g., Comcast, Mediacom
• DSL
– e.g., Verizon High-Speed Internet
• Fiber-to-the-Home
– e.g., Verizon Fios
• Wireless
– Wi-Fi, Cellular, WiMAX, others
– In-home networks and site-specific or roaming networks
• Satellite
– Hughes Network Systems, WildBlue Communications, and
others offer services

8. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband Platforms
Source: Thomas and Olson, American Planning Association, September 16, 2008.

9. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband Policy Issues
• Supply
– U.S. ranks middle-of-the-pack on several ratings of
broadband deployment, speed, and use
– Rural locales lag behind urban and suburban settings
(approx. 40% use vs. 60% use)
• Demand
– Knowledge of broadband applications is often lacking
– Still a luxury item for many
• Measurement
– No comprehensive map of broadband service and
infrastructure exists

10. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband Progress

11. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Why Should We Care?
• Broadband as Critical Infrastructure
– Economic Development
• Supports research, IT-oriented businesses, and daily
operations of organizations big and small
– Quality of Life and Education
• Distance learning, shopping, etc.
– Healthcare and Public Safety
• E-Health
• Critical information transfer
• The way we use computers is evolving

12. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Why Should We Care?
Source: Thomas and Olson, American Planning Association, September 16, 2008.

13. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Why Should We Care?
Source: Thomas and Olson, American Planning Association, September 16, 2008.

14. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
• $7.2 billion for broadband
– Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP)
• Grants and loans for infrastructure in rural areas
– Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
(BTOP)
• Grants for infrastructure, public computing centers, and
sustainable broadband adoption projects
– Broadband Data and Development Program
• Focused on creating a national broadband map
• Focused on “Unserved” and “Underserved”
www.broadbandusa.gov

15. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Why a Local Government Role?
• Commitments to:
– Quality of Life
– Economic Development
– Education
– Public Safety
• Experienced in:
– Service and Infrastructure Provision
• Dedicated to:
– Efficient and Effective Operations

16. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Potential Local Government Roles
• Provide Service and Infrastructure
• Share Information on Broadband
Infrastructure and Service Availability
• Consume broadband for enhanced
provision of government services
• As a “Community Anchor Institution,”
enable further deployment and adoption of
broadband

17. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Examples of Municipal
Broadband Applications
• Automated Metering
• Public Safety

18. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Automated Metering
• Corpus Christi, Texas (pop. 280,000)
– Automated meter reading for gas and water
– Used only fraction of bandwidth, building out for
other government purposes
+
=

19. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Automated Metering
• North Ridgeville, Ohio (pop. 28,000)
– Upgrading residential and nonresidential water
meters to be Wi-Fi enabled
– Frequent meter reading enabled to help find leaks
in system and prevent tampering
– Installing 11,500 meters for $2.8 million

20. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Public Safety
• Rock Hill, South Carolina (pop. 65,000)
– City owns a fiber network and deployed a wireless
network
– Applications in the areas of metering, Wi-Fi access
in select areas, and public safety
• Public Safety Applications
– Download building plans and hazmat storage
information
– Check databases and file reports in field
– Backup communications system in case of
disaster

21. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
A Public Safety Proposal
• Slidell, Louisiana (pop. 28,000)
– Hurricane Katrina crippled ability for public safety
personnel to retrieve and share data
– $5.8 million proposal to implement secure wireless
broadband network, providing:
• Mobile access to systems and databases
• Interoperability among City, Fire, Police

22. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Municipal Applications, Generally
• Provide Mobile Access to Rich Data
– Who might benefit?
• Public Works Crews
• Inspectors
• More Frequently Updated Data
– Meter reading, wireless cameras
• Wired Broadband Can Enable:
– VOIP/Telephony Applications
– Ability to Backup Systems
– Enhanced Security/Speed for E-Gov Services

23. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Federal Stimulus Status Report
• First round funding applications submitted
mid-August:
– ~2,200 applications for infrastructure and
programming
– Applications from each state for mapping
• No infrastructure funds awarded yet
• California, Indiana, North Carolina, and
Vermont received mapping approvals
(October 5)

24. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Federal Stimulus Status Report
• Two more rounds of funding planned
– Notices of Funding Availability in…
• ~December 2009
• ~February 2010
• Definitions and Deadlines Tend to be Fluid
• Key Terms
– “Unserved” and “Underserved”
– “Sustainable Broadband Adoption”
– “Community Anchor Institutions”

25. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Broadband Stimulus in Delaware
• Application for Broadband Mapping
– Submitted and Funding is Anticipated
• Two Infrastructure Proposals:
– Delaware Schools and Public Anchor Institution
Connect ($6.1 million)
– Delaware State University IT Modernization ($10.9
million)

26. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Potential First Steps for Municipalities
• Examine how peer communities are
proceeding with broadband
• Catalogue and share information on
existing broadband infrastructure and
services in your community
• Begin building broadband into
municipal operations
– Treat as community infrastructure
– Plan for it in new community facilities

27. INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & PUBLIC POLICY WWW.IPA.UDEL.EDU
Options for Proceeding
• Don’t Think Small, But Think Specific
– e.g., Inventory current needs to enhance existing
services rather than making an expansive wish list
– The first “consumers” of broadband applications
will not be new to your community
• Don’t Go It Alone
– Other Community Anchor Institutions (e.g.,
hospital, schools, fire dept.) may want to partner
• Focus on Economic Development
– You and the business community can benefit