The governments of Allegany and Garrett counties have selected CTC Technology & Energy to assist them with broadband Internet planning projects. Both counties are located in the rural western panhandle of Maryland, where residential and commercial broadband Internet options and speeds are extremely limited when compared to the rest of the state.

CTC will be assisting county officials in conducting feasibility studies to evaluate approaches for improving broadband services. CTC has a long history of providing solutions for broadband service in rural areas and is proud to be working with these counties to improve Internet access for their citizens.

CTC Technology & Energy congratulates Ken Fellman on his appointment to the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC). Mr. Fellman was chosen to participate based on his current role as City Attorney for the City of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Mr. Fellman has extensive experience in municipal government, having served on the City Council and as Mayor for Arvada, Colorado. Mr. Fellman is a dedicated public servant and will help provide valuable insight for how the FCC and municipal, local, and state governments can best work together.

The principal focus of the Committee during its upcoming two-year term will be the implementation of expanded broadband adoption and deployment, pursuant to the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. The Committee may also focus on such issues as improved public safety communications, facilities siting, universal service reform, and public rights-of-way.

The IAC held its first meeting on December 2, 2011 at the FCC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

CTC Technology & Energy recently kicked off a project with the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) to design fiber optic connections from both Ronald Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport to the National Capitol Region Interconnection Network (NCRnet). CTC is conducting a feasibility study and assessing potential construction routes to support MWAA as it seeks federal grant assistance for the project.

CTC provided the concept, business case analysis, engineering design, and project management for NCRnet, a 120-mile public safety fiber optic network interconnecting 21 local governments in the greater Washington, D.C. region for enhanced disaster preparedness and first responder coordination.

CTC congratulates Tony Perez, the Director of Seattle’s Office of Cable Communications, on his appointment to the FCC’s Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age. Mr. Perez has demonstrated a commitment to serving the public interest and the citizens of Seattle. He will provide a valuable local administrator perspective for other members of the Committee and the FCC as a whole.

The Diversity Committee’s mission is to advise the Commission regarding policies and practices that will enhance diversity in the telecommunications and related industries. In particular, the Committee will focus on lowering economic barriers to entry for historically disadvantaged men and women, exploring ways to ensure universal access to and adoption of broadband and creating an environment that enables employment of a diverse workforce within the telecommunications and related industries.

The Diversity Committee held its first meeting under its new charter on December 6, 2011, at the FCC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. More information on the Committee, including video of its first meeting, is available here.

The Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER) has awarded CTC Technology & Energy a project to develop business models for its BTOP-funded statewide fiber network in Pennsylvania. Working with KINBER and its member institutions, CTC will assist in creating the next iteration of KINBER’s business plan.

CTC Technology & Energy commends the Benton Foundation for its important work in the field of media and telecommunications policy. From supporting non-profit and philanthropic media projects to advocating for those citizens who continue to find themselves on the wrong side of the “digital divide,” the Benton Foundation has contributed to policy solutions for 30 years.

Established in 1981, the Benton Foundation works to ensure media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy. It pursues this mission by seeking policy solutions that support the values of access, diversity, and equity, and by demonstrating the value of media and telecommunications in improving the quality of life for all. More information about the Benton Foundation can be found at www.benton.org.

The United States Unified Community Anchor Network (U.S. UCAN) announced the appointment of CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis to its Task Force on Community Anchor Network Economic Models.

Established by Internet2, U.S. UCAN is a BTOP-funded project that aims to connect Internet2, regional research and education (R&E) networks, other BTOP-funded networks, and the nation’s estimated 200,000 community anchor institutions (CAI). The task force will develop sustainable economic and business models for the U.S. UCAN project.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy has published CTC’s report on “The Impact of Broadband Speed and Price on Small Business” and a companion research summary. The SBA also made the following announcement:

WASHINGTON, DC — The availability, speed and price of broadband services vary significantly between metro area and rural businesses, according to a study released today by the SBA Office of Advocacy. The study, entitled The Impact of Broadband Speed and Price on Small Business, found that when prices are held constant, rural small businesses get less service compared with metro small businesses. When services are held constant, rural small businesses pay higher prices than metro small busi­nesses. The Office of Advocacy was directed to conduct this study by Congress under the Broadband Data Improvement Act, Public Law 110-385 Section 105. The study surveyed small businesses to evaluate their options to broadband services.

“All small businesses must have access to fast and affordable broadband if they’re going to succeed in the global economy,” said Winslow Sargeant, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “Today’s study shows that a lack of competition in broadband providers is having a negative impact on rural small businesses.”

The study finds that small businesses want both competition and choice in the broadband service market. They see competition as key to innovation, customer service, and lower prices. The survey data demonstrate that, in most cases, the small business Internet market does not provide this competition or choice to small businesses from or price perspective.

“Increasing access to affordable broadband Internet service will allow rural small businesses to tap into a market that was previously out of their reach,” said Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “This study is an important first step in collecting data on what types of advanced telecommunications services are available to small businesses across the United States. We must continue implementing key provisions of the National Broadband Plan to ensure that small businesses, as well as small telecommunications providers, can remain competitive in our expanding global economy.”

The report also examined local service and pricing. A case study comparing the prices paid by small businesses and residential Internet consumers in Minnesota and Tennessee found that small business Internet customers pay two to three times more than what residential Internet customers pay for equivalent speeds, irrespective of the com­munity under analysis.

“Today’s study confirms that small businesses across Massachusetts are effectively utilizing the Internet to create jobs, expand their market, and grow this economy”, said Senator John Kerry. “But it also reiterates what we’ve long known – that businesses in Western Massachusetts and other parts of the state are at a distinct disadvantage compared to businesses in big cities because fewer providers are offering less bandwidth at higher prices. Quality broadband at competitive prices is a necessity, not a luxury, which is why we must implement the National Broadband Plan as quickly as possible to help our small businesses.”

The complete study is available at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs373tot.pdf

A research summary is available at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs373.pdf

The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded CTC Technology & Energy a project to evaluate the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses. Working with the SBA Office of Advocacy, CTC will conduct a survey of broadband speeds and costs available to the nation’s small businesses, analyze the types of broadband technology used by small businesses, and “make policy recommendations that may improve small business’ access to comparable broadband services at comparable rates in all regions of the Nation.”

The State of Maryland’s One Maryland Broadband Network today received one of the largest Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grants ever awarded. The $115 million in federal funding, with $40 million in matching contributions from the state and a range of local jurisdictions, will enable the construction of an interconnected fiber-optic broadband network that will reach every county in the state. The network will connect more than 1,000 community anchor institutions, will bring broadband to currently unserved and underserved communities, and will support next-generation public safety systems and other advanced applications.

CTC Technology & Energy is proud to have been part of the team that planned, designed, and engineered the One Maryland project, and to have supported the One Maryland team, led by Howard County and the state Department of Information Technology, throughout the BTOP application process.