1. Practical Approaches and Proposed
Strategies for Measuring Selected Aspects
of Community-Based Broadband
Deployment and Use
Lisandra R. Carmichael
Doctoral Student and Teaching Assistant
School of Library & Information Studies, College of Communication & Information
The Florida State University
lc09h@my.fsu.edu
April 7, 2013
1
1

2. Background
NFBA
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
(BTOP)2, 3
FRBA
- The North Florida Broadband Authority (NFBA)
- The Florida Rural Broadband Alliance (FRBA)
- Each received over 30 million from BTOP
- Middle mile broadband infrastructure in rural and
underserved communities
2

3. Purpose of and Findings from Studies
Purpose:
•
Increase knowledge of broadband connections and network configurations;
•
Understand staff training needs; and
•
Develop metrics for diagnostic evaluations.
Findings:
•
Measurement confusion4
•
Measure are poorly understood or known
•
Myriad situational factors broadband adoption
3

4. Broadband Barriers (FRBA)
2
4

5. Additional Findings from Studies
•
Engage local leaders and stakeholders
•
PRACTICAL tools:
– broadband readiness assessment,
– clear metrics
– community-wide planning
– commitment 4
5

6. Broadband Readiness Index
The index measures the readiness of CAIs to adopt and utilize broadband4:
1. Ability to Change ISP
2. Available and Trained IT staff
3. Existence and Quality of Internal Network
4. Age of Network and Desktop Equipment
5. Sufficient Funding
6. Administrative Leadership in and Knowledge of Broadband
7. Existence, Quality, and Currency of IT Plan
8. Administrative and Staff Interest in New Technology Applications
9. Demand from Service Population for “Better” Broadband
6

7. Community-Based Broadband
Planning Model
7

8. Next Steps: Field Testing
• The broadband readiness index and community-based broadband
planning model will be field tested
• The following research questions will direct the field test:
– How can the BRI criteria be better refined, expanded, and
operationalized?
– How can the CBBP best accommodate the needs for local
broadband deployment and use?
– What community-based barriers can be minimized and what
community based enablers can be maximized in light of the
situational factors?
For additional information about these and other broadband projects
underway at the FSU Information Institute, please contact
Dr. Charles McClure, Director, cmcclure@lis.fsu.edu
8

9. Endnotes
1. The
information Use and Management Policy Institute at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/
2. McClure,
C. R., Mandel, L. H., Alemanne, N. D., Saunders, J., Spears, L. I., & Bishop, B. W. (2011). Florida
Rural Broadband Alliance, LLC (FRBA) Florida Rural Middle Mile Networks-Northwest and South Central
Regions Project: Broadband needs assessment, diagnostics, and benchmarking of selected anchor
institutions: Fourth interim report. Tallahassee, FL: Information Use Management & Policy Institute, College
of Communication & Information, Florida State University.
3. McClure,
C. R., Mandel, L. H., Alemanne, N. D., Saunders, J., Spears, L. I., & Bishop, B. W. (2011). North
Florida Broadband Authority (NFBA) Ubiquitous Middle Mile Project: Broadband needs assessment,
diagnostics, and benchmarking of selected anchor institutions: Final report. Tallahassee, FL: Information Use
Management & Policy Institute, College of Communication & Information, Florida State University.
4. Carmichael,
L. R., McClure, C. R., Mandel, L. H., & Mardis, M. A. (2012). Practical approaches and proposed
strategies for measuring selected aspects of community-based broadband deployment and use. International
Journal of Communication, 6(2012), 2445-2466.
5. Mandel,
L. H., Alemanne, N. D., & McClure, C. R. (2012). Rural anchor institution broadband connectivity:
Enablers and barriers to adoption. Proceedings of the 2012 iConference, February 7-10, 2012, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada (pp. 136-144). New York, NY: The Association for Computing Machinery.
doi:10.1145/2132176.2132194
9