Tag Archives: CTC Technology & Energy

NOV

21 CTC Technology & Energy Launches Comprehensive Study of Kansas Broadband

The State of Kansas has tapped CTC Technology & Energy to perform a study of broadband availability and use throughout the state. The Kansas Statewide Broadband Initiative (KSBI), part of the Kansas Department of Commerce, initiated the project as part of its mission to better understand the broadband landscape in the state and help expand broadband access and adoption.

The comprehensive project will include surveys of broadband connectivity among residents, businesses, and community anchor institutions (CAI). CTC Technology & Energy and the Department of Commerce launched the first of these surveys this week, sending questionnaires to over 900 schools, libraries and hospitals. This CAI study will help CTC Technology & Energy develop a separate assessment of the ongoing needs of Kansas’s existing public networking program. The final reports will include recommendations on the best strategies to increase broadband adoption and utilization across the state by residents, businesses and community institutions alike.

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 by CTC Technology & Energy

NOV

10 UC2B Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, First Sites Connected in Urbana-Champaign

CTC Technology & Energy congratulates the Urbana Champaign community on connecting the first sites on the Urbana Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) fiber optic network.

UC2B brings ultra-high speed Internet access to homes and community sites throughout the Urbana Champaign area, with an emphasis on low-income and underserved communities. In September, UC2B received NATOA’s 2012 Community Broadband Project of the Year award for its cutting-edge approach to closing the digital divide. At that time, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn affirmed his commitment to broadband growth throughout the state.

“We are committed to growing our broadband infrastructure to connect every corner of our great state,” said Quinn in September. “I would like to congratulate the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project, and I would like to thank them for their innovation and tireless efforts to make a difference in their community.”

Video of the ceremony, courtesy of Urbana Public Television, can be viewed here:

Published: Saturday, November 10, 2012 by CTC Technology & Energy

OCT

03 CTC Technology & Energy to Study Broadband Options in Westminster, MD

The City of Westminster, Maryland has tapped CTC Technology & Energy to assess the City’s need for a fiber optic communications network. The Westminster Common Council voted unanimously to approve the study, with council members citing lack of broadband service as an impediment to business interests in the community.

Westminster is one of several cities around the country that have recently begun pursuing fiber infrastructure at the municipal level. In the course of the study, CTC Technology & Energy will seek to identify potential private partners for the City. Any fiber network the City decides to build would almost certainly include a connection to Carroll County’s portion of the One Maryland Broadband Network, an infrastructure initiative connecting every county in the state.

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by CTC Technology & Energy

MAR

01 PEG Channels Can Be Treated Comparably to Commercial Channels

In an article published by the Alliance for Community Media, CTC Technology & Energy Director of Engineering Andrew Afflerbach explains that cable operators can deliver public, educational, and governmental (PEG) programs at the same high quality as commercial channels.

The article, “AT&T Has the Capability to Treat PEG and Commercial Channels Comparably,” provides a technical analysis of Internet Protocol video technology (IPTV) and concludes that degraded PEG channel quality results from carriers’ configurations, not the underlying technology.

The article was published in the Winter 2008 issue of Community Media Review.

Published: Sunday, March 1, 2009 by CTC Technology & Energy

MAR

01 NATOA Journal Publishes CTC Article: Fiber vs. Copper

NATOA Journal, the magazine of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisers, published an insightful article by CTC Technology & Energy engineers Matthew DeHaven and Priya Wasnikar. “What’s the Fuss About Fiber? A Comparative Analysis of Fiber and Copper Physical Media,” which covers issues such as cost, security, and maintenance, offers a technical analysis of the superiority of fiber optics as compared to the incumbent cable and phone companies’ copper networks.

Published in the Journal’s Spring 2009 issue, the article is especially timely, coming at a time when the federal government is preparing to begin distributing $7.2 billion in broadband project grant funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Both Matt and Priya specialize in feasibility analysis, strategic planning, engineering design, and cost estimation of state-of-the-art broadband wireless and fiber networks.

Published: by CTC Technology & Energy

FEB

15 CTC President Chairs at 2009 F2C: Freedom to Connect Conference

CTC Technology & Energy President Joanne Hovis will chair the opening session of the 2009 F2C: Freedom to Connect Conference on March 30 in Silver Spring, MD. Featured speakers in this Municipal Super-Session will be Chris Vein, CIO of San Francisco; Bill Schrier, CTO of Seattle; and others.

This two-day conference held near the nation’s capital is designed to have the creators of the future Internet meet to engage in mutual learning and exploration. More information on the conference and registration information is available on the conference website.

Published: Sunday, February 15, 2009 by CTC Technology & Energy

NOV

10 CTC Assists National Municipal Associations in FCC Wireless Broadband Proceeding

CTC Technology & Energy has again assisted numerous national municipal associations with their filing of comments in the Third Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making (FNPRM) on the “D Block” Auction at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Earlier this year, CTC Technology & Energy also prepared a report for the National League of Cities (NLC), the National Association of Counties (NACo), the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) on technical issues in support of their comments in the earlier round of the “D Block” public safety broadband wireless proceeding. CTC’s report was filed as an appendix to their formal comments.

Published: Monday, November 10, 2008 by CTC Technology & Energy

JAN

30 CTC Project NCRnet Receives 2007 NATOA Community Network of the Year

The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors has awarded a CTC Technology & Energy project—NCRnet—its 2007 Community Network of the Year honors. An article about NCRnet appears in the Winter 2007 edition of the NATOA Journal.

Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by CTC Technology & Energy

JAN

22 CTC Assists Michigan Local Governments in Securing Temporary Injunction Halting Comcast’s PEG Access Channel Move

On January 14, 2008, the federal district court in Michigan issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the move of PEG (public, educational, and governmental) access channels by Comcast. A suit was filed by Meridian Township and the City of Dearborn on January 11, 2008 asking that Comcast be prevented from dropping the PEG access channels from the analog tier of service and only making them available in digital.

CTC Technology & Energy served as a technical expert in this case and Dr. Andrew Afflerbach, P.E., CTC Technology & Energy’s Director of Engineering, filed two affidavits (Affidavit I, Affidavit II) providing technical support for the position of Meridian Township and the City of Dearborn.

The temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction will remain in effect preventing Comcast from dropping the PEG access channels from the analog service until a new order is issued by the court.

Published: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by CTC Technology & Energy

JAN

18 Ames, IA to Implement Several Free WiFi Hotspots

CTC Technology & Energy has provided strategic support to Ames, Iowa in its innovative project to implement several free WiFi hot spots and to issue an RFP for outside vendors to supply free WiFi at additional locations. An article about the city’s plan appeared here.