Today, the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute and CTC Technology & Energy released a new report on local broadband networks, “The Art of the Possible: An Overview of Public Broadband Options.”

The report is intended to serve as a primer for local government and community leaders on different approaches to public broadband networks. The report addresses broadband technologies, network business models, and the considerable benefits beyond the balance sheet that public networks can provide to communities.

Read the report on CTC’s website: http://www.ctcnet.us/?p=943

The official press release: http://newamerica.net/node/109616

CTC Technology & Energy has launched a project with the City of Raleigh, North Carolina to develop a roadmap for meeting the city’s future networking needs. CTC engineers will perform a technical assessment of the city’s current network plans, develop a strategy for fiber construction, and provide detailed guidance on middle-mile network operations. Our business analysts will assess the city’s current network financial models, refine those projections, and create a sustainable business model that will enable the city to capitalize on excess fiber to create revenue and other community benefits.

Arlington County, Virginia announced the next step in the development of its visionary ConnectArlington fiber network. Over the next year, the county plans to make dark fiber available for lease by businesses—offering “the highest levels of security to provide unprecedented opportunities for secure collaboration with the nation’s top defense and research agencies, including the Pentagon.”

CTC has supported the county throughout the development of the ConnectArlington project, including with network design and business planning services. We are currently managing the network construction.

CTC Technology & Energy developed the business plan and strategy for the County’s fiber leasing initiative, and is currently preparing an RFP for the County’s use in selecting a fiber broker. This third-party broker innovation is the first of its kind among public entities in the United States.

More details on the ConnectArlington plans are available at the county’s website.

CTC Principal Engineer Shawn Thompson will address the IWCE Expo on March 24, 2014 on how local government is uniquely able to help public safety and improve in-building wireless by coordinating a unified DAS strategy and using government-owned assets such as government-owned fiber.  Shawn will discuss steps taken by Washington, DC and other cities.

Comprehensive in-building wireless is critical for the public to reach 9-1-1 and is a key element of making FirstNet work in urban areas.  Local government actions can reduce the cost and improve the speed and effectiveness of FirstNet and commercial wireless deployment.  Shawn is on the In-Building Wireless and DAS Fundamentals panel at 1pm PT.

www.iwceexpo.com

CTC Technology & Energy joined a coalition of private sector companies in urging the Kansas legislature to reject an industry-authored bill that would prohibit community broadband projects, including those in partnership with private companies. The bill would preclude almost any local broadband initiative, including those like the partnership between Kansas City and Google.

This kind of anti-competition legislation hurts communities, hurts the state’s economy, and precludes both competition and innovation. Kansas, a state where we have long worked on broadband initiatives, deserves better.

Our thanks to community broadband hero Jim Baller for encouraging us and other companies to speak out through this letter.

You can read the letter here.

CTC Technology & Energy would like to congratulate the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation (KHERF), on receiving approval from the Universal Services Administration Company to move forward with their vision of the Kansas Health-e Broadband Consortium.

The Kansas Health-e Broadband Consortium is a collaboration of healthcare related organizations in Kansas developing and maintaining a dedicated broadband network for Kansas. The Consortium will request support from the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) on behalf of those members eligible to participate in the program.

In May of 2013, CTC Technology & Energy worked extensively with KHERF on a technical strategy, a business case analysis, and a feasibility study to develop a high-speed network for the state’s healthcare providers throughout Kansas.

Today Public Knowledge filed CTC Technology & Energy’s report on IP Transition Trials with the FCC. Read more on Jodie Griffin’s Public Knowledge Policy Blog posting, “Drilling Down the Details for Pilot Programs,” here.

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