Yesterday, SmarterBroadband, a local Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) was awarded $2.5M in funding from the Department of Agriculture to extend their Motorola Canopy technology infrastructure here in Nevada County, designated as a “rural” area. 75% of that funding is a grant, directly to the business, and 25% is a loan.

The Nevada [...]]]> TECHNOLOGY AND AMOUNT OF FUNDING

Yesterday, SmarterBroadband, a local Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) was awarded $2.5M in funding from the Department of Agriculture to extend their Motorola Canopy technology infrastructure here in Nevada County, designated as a “rural” area. 75% of that funding is a grant, directly to the business, and 25% is a loan.

The Nevada County Connected technology is a telecommunications-grade open-network developed by CONXX consisting of 10 towers and 5 spurs that enables multiple WISPs and public entities the capability to secure higher bandwidth at cost-effective pricing. The $11.1M project is seeking $7.7M in Federal grant funding (69%) to match $3.4M in other funding (31%) that is split between a $1.1M California Public Utilities Commission grant, in-kind services, private loans, and private investment. The Nevada County Economic Resource Council, as a non-profit, is the grant recipient, and will maintain an ongoing revenue stream from the Nevada County Connected project to support economic development locally.

THE FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

The Round 2 of Federal stimulus funding for broadband offered the choice of submiting grant applications to either the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service – RUS – (under the Broadband Initiatives Program – BIP) or the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications & Information Administration – NTIA – (under the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program – BTOP).

SmarterBroadband’s project is designated as “Last Mile” — meaning it provides service directly to residences/businesses, and was therefore best suited for BIP funding. Nevada County Connected’s project is a “Middle Mile” project whose primary purpose is to bring bandwidth to the most remote areas for use by WISPs, public/fire safety, and community anchor institutions such as libraries, schools and government facilities. It was best suited for BTOP funding under the Comprehensive Community Infrastructure category. The projects do not overlap each other, and both can be funded under the Federal guidelines.

Three local WISPs signed letters of commitment to utilize the Nevada County Connected network infrastructure for provision of broadband Internet services to residences and businesses. SmarterBroadband was not one of these. Eighty-one (81) – essentially all – of the local community anchor institutions (schools, libraries, public/fire safety facilities, and government facilities) have signed letters of commitment to utilize the Nevada County Connected network infrastructure for their services.

ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE

In Round 2, the two Departments’ grant review and approval processes were very different, as were their timetables for announcing funding awards. Nevada County Connected’s project recently completed a rigorous 6-week due diligence process with a 7-member team in Washington, DC. We are currently waiting to submit the final BTOP grant application documents to the NTIA for the next step — Evaluation/Decision. The BIP process did not include a due diligence segment, although applicants may have been contacted for purposes of clarification.

Sixty-one (61) BIP/BTOP project grant awards were announced in June. None of those projects were based in California. One hundred and twenty (120) BIP project grant awards were announced yesterday. Four of those projects were based in California. One being SmarterBroadband’s.

The Department of Agriculture / RUS will announce the next set of fifty (50) BIP grant recipients during the week of August 16. That same week the Department of Commerce / NTIA will announce seventy (70) additional BTOP grant recipients. The next set of announcements for both BIP and BTOP will take place during the week of September 6, with a final set being announced during the last week of September (but primarily focused on public safety and mapping applicants).

Given the Nevada County Connected timetable thus far, it is expected that we will be notified during the week of September 6.

PRICING

It is hoped that the influx of grant awards in Nevada County will bring better pricing for broadband service. Below are local and regional cost comparisons for Internet access service as of July 2010. Prices do not reflect promotional pricing.

(click on letter for PDF of entire letter)

Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Tom McClintock both recommended our project to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

(click on letter for PDF of entire letter)

Click here to learn more about the FCC [...]]]>
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave their report to Congress on March 15, 2010, outlining it’s plan to increase both the reach and speed of internet access in the US by 2020 providing 100Mbps of affordable bandwidth to homes and 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) to “anchor institutions” like hospitals and schools.

Click here to learn more about the FCC National Broadband Plan

Time is running out. Submit your nomination to 95959google.com and tell Google how WE could use 1GB. Tell Google of our infrastructure and demonstrate our citizen enthusiasm in their considering Nevada City, AND SURROUNDING AREAS, as a model for their “Fiber to the Community”: a [...]]]> WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT — join in, tell your friends…

Time is running out. Submit your nomination to 95959google.com and tell Google how WE could use 1GB. Tell Google of our infrastructure and demonstrate our citizen enthusiasm in their considering Nevada City, AND SURROUNDING AREAS, as a model for their “Fiber to the Community”: a 1GB fiber connection to the internet.

The 95959Google.com project is not directly related to Nevada County Connected — they are completely different projects. 95959Google.com is in preparation of sending a Request for Information to Google by March 26, 2010 in consideration as a model community to have and use 1GB connections.

Nevada County Connected is an organization created to apply for federal stimulus fund (ARRA) grants for developing broadband access for Nevada County. The final round-two application deadline for grants is March 26, 2010.

In one case we have PRIVATE business goading the US telecommunications industry to create 1GB connections to the home, and in the other case we have GOVERNMENT grants being awarded to create network-neutral, open networks, to improve the bandwidth and service costs to rural communities and community anchor institutions where no or little service exists or incumbents don’t see the financial incentive to expand service. Either way — either project WOULD benefit Nevada County.

Round-Two grant applications begin February 15, 2010 with a March 15, [...]]]> As of Feb 9, 2010 41 awards have been announced totaling $597 million and representing 18% of available funds for BIP and 17% for BTOP. Speculation is we will hear about the other 80% within the next few weeks.

Round-Two grant applications begin February 15, 2010 with a March 15, 2010 deadline.