A Broadband World: The Promise of Advanced Services

Published by the Alliance for Public Technology
and the Benton Foundation
February 2003

(Also available in PDF format)

INTRODUCTION

Broadband is the word of the day. High-speed, high-capacity, always-on, interactive services are universally regarded as the future of telecommunications. The potential for broadband is enormous. The applications made possible, such as telemedicine, distance learning, real time sign language interpreting and others, offer innovative ways to live, work and learn.

Yet there is still a perception that broadband is about speed. Most discussions of the technology center around who is providing it and who isn't subscribing to it. Demand is referred to as the biggest problem in broadband today. Services are available, but people are not signing up. It is said there is no "killer" application (killer app) to convince people they need broadband.

This is true, there is no single killer app. In fact, there are countless applications that are tremendously valuable. For a patient in rural Georgia who needs specialized health care from an urban hospital, telemedicine is a killer app. For students in a low-income school district who have textbooks that are older than they are, distance learning that connects them to dazzling research and resources is a killer app. Broadband's power lies in the flexibility of the technology. It can be used by different people and communities to address different problems in different ways.

The Alliance for Public Technology (APT) and the Benton Foundation seek to demonstrate the value of broadband by examining these different uses. It is imperative to showcase the applications made possible by the technology so that a greater understanding can be achieved and that efforts can be dedicated to making the technology available and accessible for all.

APT and its members have consistently called for universal deployment of broadband and advanced telecommunications services so that the technology can be utilized to benefit all segments of society. APT's vision of "connecting each to all" (the more people connected to a network, the greater the value of the network itself and the services it enables) guides the organization's work to fulfill the advanced universal service goals of Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Throughout its history, APT has worked to expand access to advanced telecommunications services by highlighting the consumer interest, through educational outreach, publications such as Connecting Each to All and Advanced Services, Enhanced Lives, and its annual policy forum and Susan G. Hadden Pioneer Awards. APT's ultimate goal is a world with ubiquitous access to all forms of telecommunications services, regardless of economic status, location of residence, functional limitation, or any other factor.

The Benton Foundation has a long-standing commitment to the principles of universal service and the expansion of policies to take account of advancing technologies and evolving needs of underserved Americans in an information society. In addition to producing the Digital Divide Network (www.DigitalDivideNetwork.org), an online collaboration focusing on the equitable deployment of technology, Benton has published a number of seminal policy reports addressing key universal service issues, including: Losing Ground Bit by Bit: Low Income Communities in the Information Age; Universal Service: A Historical Perspective and Policies for the Twenty-First Century; The E-Rate in America; and, Great Expectations: Leveraging America's Investment in Educational Technology. Through it's work, Benton promotes a vision of an inclusive digital society in which all of its members have access not only to the latest essential tools, such as broadband, but the training and relevant content to make productive use of them at home, in school and in the workplace.

An Ongoing Resource

This document is a continuation of efforts to identify innovative broadband applications and their impact on communities. In 2002, APT published Advanced Services, Enhanced Lives, which contained seven stories of broadband use. This updated version showcases new applications, but also features those previous studies, in order to better demonstrate the variety of applications made possible by broadband services.

As broadband is a dynamic technology, this research is an evolving endeavor. Continuing examination of broadband applications is necessary to track both the developments and the barriers. New uses are conceived continuously, and new obstacles to universal deployment and access arise. Highlighting applications will help more people become aware of broadband's benefits and provide tools that can assist communities as they seek to enter the broadband world.

The case studies profiled here are broadband applications and community programs already in place that demonstrate the various uses of broadband and strategies for accelerating deployment and use. With high-speed connections, these projects can create connected communities and deliver services that would otherwise be impossible. These stories are about potential. They use broadband services from different platforms and at different speeds. They target different audiences. But all share a common need for high-speed capacity and all strive to improve quality of life for their constituencies. Without broadband, these applications would be far less useful.

These are the stories of how advanced services enhance lives.

What is Broadband?

There are many competing definitions of broadband. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband (or high speed lines) as Internet services provided at speeds of at least 200 kilobits per second (Kbps) in one direction. TechNet, a group of high tech industry CEOs, places true broadband at 100 megabits per second (Mbps). Other estimates fall somewhere in between. But these speeds do not adequately define broadband. They are merely components.

Broadband is high-speed, interactive, always-on, two-way communications provided by cable modems, telephone lines, satellites, fixed and terrestrial wireless, and fiber optics to the home. Broadband is not just faster Internet, a better version of the 56 Kbps dial-up services that are utilized by the majority of Internet users. Such a definition is far too narrow.

Broadband is more appropriately defined as a connection platform, a gateway to information and services. It can be accessed from a home computer, a wireless handheld device and soon even accessed by household appliances. In fact, broadband is whatever the user wants it to be.

Where is Broadband?

Who has access to broadband? What areas of the country are the most and least connected? According to the Federal Communications Commission, broadband connections rose to 16.2 million access lines at the end of June 2002. 84% of the nation's zip codes had at least one broadband subscriber. The Yankee Group reported that wireline broadband was available to 75% of U.S. households at the end of 2001 and estimated that figure would reach 85% at the end of 2002. But with this expanded deployment, only 10.4% of U.S. households used broadband in 2001.

While deployment has increased, the access to broadband in the United States is still below that of many other countries. As of December 2001, 51.7% of households in South Korea, 19.7% of households in Canada and 13.4% of households in Sweden had access to broadband. The United States faces the potential of falling behind other countries in use of broadband for improving economic growth and delivery of social services.

What barriers have caused the slow deployment and limited access? Economic uncertainty and regulatory complexity are two of the prime reasons. The telecommunications industry is currently suffering through a dramatic economic downturn, with huge financial shortfalls and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. In such an environment, investment is curtailed and thus advanced services are not deployed because of their high costs. Second, and a partial cause of the economic problems, is a regulatory structure that creates disincentives and continues disparate treatment of broadband providers. With rules conceived for a voice and video world, broadband is limited to the slow rollout seen today.

Beyond these issues, broadband is hampered by market failures. The market, by its nature, does not serve all customers equally. Many individuals and communities are unable to access services because of geography, lack of basic technology and infrastructure, high subscription costs, and inaccessible platforms for people with disabilities. These factors lead to slow, uneven deployment and cause some communities never to be served at all. In these areas, public policy intervention is necessary to ensure universal, affordable access to broadband. Measures designed to bring services and knowledge to communities where the market is not working, such as investment incentives, government grant programs, and subsidies are an important component of the overall approach to broadband deployment.

The Policy Context

Broadband policy is a contentious and complicated arena. Many competing interests offer vastly differing visions of how to successfully deploy advanced services to all Americans. Jurisdictional difficulties arise as a number of federal entities, states, and even local governments consider various approaches to the problems in broadband.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 established rules for the communications world, but it did not devote many resources to broadband. The key element of the Act relating to broadband is Section 706, which calls for "the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans" and empowers the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state regulatory commissions to employ regulatory measures in pursuit of this goal.

Primary action shaping broadband policy today originates at the FCC, which is charged with implementing the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and managing an ever-changing environment. Currently, the FCC is considering major overhauls of the rules governing broadband. Several proceedings seek to change the regulatory definition of broadband and alter frameworks that govern competition in the telecommunications industry. Issues such as open networks, accessibility requirements, appropriate investment incentives and the evolution of universal service funding mechanisms all must be debated.

Congress has also attempted to create policy for more effective broadband deployment. In the years since passage of the Telecommunications Act, many pieces of legislation designed to change how broadband is governed have been introduced. Some offer deregulatory approaches, eliminating rules the Telecommunications Act and the FCC instituted. Others seek to spur deployment through financial incentives, such as tax credits and grant and loan programs. Some bills have passed one house of Congress, others have languished in committee. However, no comprehensive broadband legislation has been approved and signed into law.

Broadband is also a major concern for states and localities. Several states have passed legislation to deregulate broadband, others have created ambitious plans to spur deployment through state leadership. State regulatory commissions are working to maintain some control in the face of the increasing federal action. Local governments are involved with rights of way issues, determining how broadband providers can construct their networks.

Where do these many actions leave broadband? Those who would develop broadband applications are unsure if they can get the bandwidth they require, and carriers are unwilling to devote large amounts of capital given the regulatory and market uncertainty. There are many challenges that must be overcome in order to make the technology and its benefits as widely available as possible. Public policy is critical for ensuring that market forces work effectively and for intervening when the market fails to serve.

What's At Stake?

The Internet has evolved to become a tool for economic and social development, as well as a valuable resource for education and entertainment. The additional capacity of broadband enhances the Internet's ability to provide important services to individuals and communities, as demonstrated by the profiles contained in this report.

America has made great strides in providing Internet access to schools and underserved communities. However, despite these efforts, there is still a wide gap between communities on the cutting edge of technology and those still awaiting their first taste of the Internet. As wealthier towns and neighborhoods connect to broadband networks, many rural, hard-to-reach and underserved communities fall further behind, deprived of a key developmental tool. As knowledge of technology becomes increasingly essential, the lack of access to advanced services will deprive some of the ability to acquire the tools necessary to succeed. There is a tremendous need in all communities for training in the "twenty-first century skills" to take advantage of the new opportunities broadband can provide.

As with the Internet itself, the nation must realize the unique value of broadband access. More than just a new vehicle for entertainment, broadband can play an important role in providing valuable services -- such as telemedicine, distance education, independent living, and even e-commerce solutions to create more viable communities, particularly in underserved areas.

The following case studies illustrate the promise of broadband and unique strategies for obtaining access.

INTEGRATED LEARNING

The union of technology and education is viewed as a natural partnership. Advanced telecommunications services offer a vast array of possibilities for learning purposes. Bringing broadband into schools and classrooms provides teachers with tools for enriching the learning experience and students with opportunities to be better prepared for the future. Yet today, while Internet service is available in schools all over the country, it is widely underused. Simply having an Internet connection in a classroom does not automatically translate to an enhanced educational environment. Efforts must be made to employ the technology in all possible ways.

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin public school system sought to utilize broadband to its full potential. A large urban school district, Milwaukee serves 105,000 students in 161 elementary, middle, and high schools and employs 6,700 teachers. A significant challenge for Milwaukee is the fact that many students come from low-income backgrounds (83% of students qualify for reduced or free school lunch) and have had little experience with technology. In the mid 1990s, only one fifth of the city's classrooms had dial up Internet access and few computers were available. Milwaukee sought to upgrade its technology infrastructure and expose students to both the technology itself and the wealth of information that was available.

Milwaukee used E-rate (a program created by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to assist most schools and libraries in the United States to obtain affordable tele-communications and Internet access) funds to construct an advanced broadband network for its schools. Today, over four thousand classrooms have direct fiber connections to a wide area network and in a short time every single classroom in the city will be connected. In 2002, the district implemented a gateway system that allows the network to be interconnected and also accessed from external sites.

One of the main uses of the broadband connection is interactive video. Fifty-five of Milwaukee's schools have facilities for two way video, with some of the devices being portable. This allows students and teachers to communicate in new ways. Whereas previously students might communicate with other schools or organizations by writing letters, today in Milwaukee, they plug in video devices and interact instantly.

The schools are utilizing the interactivity to augment learning by partnering with outside groups and placing an emphasis on project based learning. A program called Classrooms and Courtrooms brings together judges and middle school social studies students to discuss how the court system works. Discovery World, a local community based organization, offers math and science programs. Students in the high schools are reading to elementary school students. Former Milwaukee students who are now in college connect with current students to discuss life after high school.

This movement beyond simply accessing information online showcases the transformative nature of broadband in the classroom. Rather than directing students to websites that might have resources and hoping they have the opportunity to use the Internet, the interactivity presents real time information that brings classroom lessons to life.

Beyond learning activities, Milwaukee is using the technology for administrative and training purposes. The school district installed integrated attendance and payroll systems. Teachers are offered a diverse selection of training programs, including online courses on how to integrate technology into curriculum as well as basic courses on uses of the Internet.

Education reaps some of the greatest rewards from broadband. When the services are an integral part of the learning process, and not merely an addition, they both attract students' attention to the material involved and introduce them to the technology. Developing students' interest in the technology will allow them to become adept users of the systems later in life. Enhanced learning through broadband services offers results today and countless opportunities for the future.

RESOURCES:

Milwaukee Public Schools www.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/pages/MPS

E-Rate Information www.sl.universalservice.org/overview/

WORKER TRAINING

"For many years I have wanted to go back to school and obtain a degree. My work schedule and family responsibilities have not provided the extra time necessary to fit in classes at a local university. The online AS in Telecommunications program has given me the opportunity to obtain a higher education, and having a degree within reach is a dream come true." - Gladys McGinnis, SBC employee

Workers must be lifelong learners to keep up with changing technology and to advance in their careers. But time, cost, and distance serve as powerful constraints. Thus, the Internet provides an exciting opportunity to overcome these barriers, while building on proven models for worker education and training.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is a labor organization that represents more than 700,000 employees, most of whom work in high-tech industries. CWA has long recognized that education and training is key to job security and career advancement for its members. Starting more than two decades ago, CWA negotiated path breaking education programs and financial support for these programs with its major telecommunications employers, including AT&T, SBC, Qwest, Verizon, and BellSouth.

With the advent of the Internet, CWA saw yet another opportunity to reach members and unaffiliated workers with education and training. CWA now sponsors two on-line worker education and training programs. The first, known as the National Coalition for Telecommunications Education and Learning (NACTEL) On-Line Telecommunications Associates Degree Program, is a unique industry-wide collaborative between leading telecommunications employers and telecommunications unions that allows workers to take on-line courses leading to a two-year Associate college degree in Telecommunications. The second program, known as CWA/nett Academy, provides on-line networking certification training, including the only on-line Cisco certification training program, in combination with hands-on activities directed by trained CWA proctors located in CWA union halls.

The National Coalition for Telecommunications and Learning (NACTEL) is an innovative industry partnership designed to develop and deliver online education and training to meet critical employment needs in the telecommunications industry. Members of NACTEL include CWA, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Qwest Communications, SBC, Verizon Communications, and Citizens Communications. The partnership was formed in 1997.

NACTEL works in partnership with Pace University in New York to offer an online Associate Degree (AS) in Telecommunications. The program is administered by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the nation's leading adult education organization. Initial funding for curriculum development came from a $500,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The AS in Telecommunications degree is designed to prepare students for a wide range of technical positions in the telecommunications industry. A joint curriculum committee comprised of members of the companies, the unions, and the university develops and revises the curriculum for each course. In addition to the AS Degree, the program offers two certificates, Introduction to Telecommunications, and Telecommunications Essentials, as stand-alone options.

The entire program runs online, including application, assessment, ordering books, coursework, and communication with fellow students and faculty. An initial orientation course walks students through the necessary technical specifications. Currently, the minimum recommended technical requirements are a computer with sufficient memory, a printer, and dial-up Internet access.

Because most students do not have broadband connections at home, distribution of materials and on-line communications are designed for dial-up narrowband users. For example, video demonstrations for courses that would be hands-on in a classroom are provided online or are mailed, depending upon the duration of the presentations and the bandwidth requirements (long presentations are mailed, short presentations may be streamed on the Internet). According to program administrators, broadband would allow them to do many things they cannot do now, such as streaming audio-visual material or conducting real-time two-way conversations among students and faculty.

The program is structured around the concept of asynchronous learning: students can go online anytime to do the work, but must meet specific assignment deadlines. There are online threaded discussion groups among students and interaction with faculty. In fact, faculty report that e-mail allows them to interact more with their online students than they often do with students in the classroom environments

Students who are CWA or IBEW members take advantage of negotiated tuition assistance programs with their major telecommunications employers that cover the costs of tuition and books. Qwest allows students to use computers at work, if necessary. CWA or IBEW members whose employers do not have tuition assistance programs receive tuition discounts because they are union members.

As of January 2002, the AS Degree completed its third year with over 2,000 individual students having participated in the NACTEL program. Eight students graduated in 2001, and many more graduates were expected in May 2002. Completion rates in courses average almost 90%. Students range in age from 21-55, with the mean age being in their late 30s. More than 40% of those participating are women.

Three factors lead to the success of this program. First, it is industry-wide. Second, it is accessible, with Internet delivery allowing students from anywhere to learn at any time. Third, it is directly linked to the employment needs in the industry. In sum, the program combines best practices in worker education with the advantages of on-line delivery.

CWA has also initiated a unique on-line education program to improve the shills of members and military personnel in computer networking. The program is designed to deliver on-line networking certification training, with supplemental hands-on activities in labs located in CWA union halls and proctored by trained CWA technicians. The CWA/nett Academy is the only on-line Cisco certification training program. The program operates in partnership with Stanly Community College of Albemarle, N.C. Stanly provides instructors, counseling, and program accreditation.

The CWA/nett Academy offers a variety of training and certification courses. The A+ Certification covers repairing, servicing and upgrading computers and peripherals. The CCNA (Cisco certified network associate) training consists of two courses that prepare students for the CCNA exam. In addition, there are courses in UNIX leading toward Sun Microsystems certification; basic computer literacy; and a Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification. A new course in telecommunications cabling leading to a Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) certification was to be offered by mid-year 2002.

One unique feature of the CWA/nett Academy is that the online coursework is supplemented by hands-on assistance in one of 11 proctored labs located in CWA local union halls around the country. CWA technicians, trained by Stanly Community College, serve as lab proctors, assisting students with hands-on activities such as building a computer or cable router troubleshooting. The A+ certification class and the CCNA classes include 16 hours of proctored lab time. The equipment in the labs was provided by Cisco and CWA.

Students enrolled in CWA/nett Academy classes have the opportunity to interact on-line with faculty and students through a virtual classroom website that includes e-mail postings, chat areas, whiteboards, community postings, and links to students' web sites. Stanly's instructors have used the web site to set up flexible chat rooms allowing discussion among students and teachers. This web-based communication vehicle differentiates the course from a traditional correspondence course.

Most enrolled students have narrowband Internet access; on-line activities assume this level of connectivity. In a broadband environment, the program could expand to include more multi-media interaction and distribution.

The CWA/nett Academy has enrolled 450 students in its first 18 months. CWA members working for major telecommunications employers can use their negotiated education benefits to pay for tuition and course materials. In a few sites, full scholarships are available through the federal government's H-1B worker training funds.

On-line delivery has allowed the CWA/nett Academy to reach many more students at a fraction of the cost of more traditional classroom programs. The CWA/nett Academy program continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of today's high-tech workforce.

RESOURCES:

On asynchronous distance learning: http://www.aln.org/

On CWA's online education and training programs and partnerships:

http://www.cwa-union.org/jobs/training.asp or http://www.cwanett.org

COLLEGE ONLINE

Education has traditionally been limited to students and teachers in a classroom setting. The need for direct interaction has always demanded physical proximity. However, communications technology expands the reach of education to homes, offices and other non-education environments. Distance learning has become a new tool in education, bringing the teachers and curriculum to students regardless of location, and increasing opportunities for lifelong learning.

Distance learning programs are now utilized at all grade levels from pre-K through college. Educational materials are available either online or through video transmissions. Students who are unable to attend school, either because of distance, medical conditions or other impediments are now empowered to continue their educational pursuits. Adults who desire to obtain further education but who do not have the time to return to school are able to learn from work or home.

Old Dominion University (ODU), located in Norfolk, Virginia, operates TELETECHNET, one of the largest university distance learning programs in the country. It began as a satellite based program, transmitting interactive images of classes to over fifty sites in Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Arizona, North Carolina and Washington state. In spring 2000, ODU decided to offer interactive degree programs via videostreaming. Live courses would be available over the Internet to students not served by the satellite locations.

The program was tested using 56 Kbps modems, and during the spring and summer 2000 semesters, several hundred students participated. However, it was soon discovered that the low bandwidth transmission was not sufficient. The program now requires students to have broadband connections, such as DSL, cable modem or LAN. The students must also have computers capable of displaying full motion video.

Online students have direct interaction with the professor and the other students, using Lotus Sametime software, which enables chat features. The online students can type in their questions or comments, which are then read aloud in the class by an instruction assistant.

The videostreaming project offers undergraduate degrees in Computer Science, Professional Communication, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, and Business Administration and a graduate degree in Special Education. Students who wish to participate in the videostreaming program take introductory level courses at ODU, community colleges throughout Virginia, or other accredited colleges or universities. These students then enroll in the videostreaming program and take their advanced level courses online.

Online courses for spring 2002 are transmitted live and each session is three hours in length. If the distance learning students are unable to attend a class at its regular time, the transmission is archived and available two days after the session.

Online education provides amazing opportunities for current students and those who wish to become students again. Technology has opened these possibilities. But distance learning via video streaming and the Internet requires bandwidth. A student cannot reap the full benefits of attending a class online if the video transmission is slow and fragmented or if he or she cannot ask a question in real time. For distance learning to be truly successful, the students outside the classroom must engage themselves in the same fashion as those students physically present. Broadband connections provide distance students full access to the classroom.

Distance learning can fundamentally change education. Incorporating more students into learning environments can lead to a better-trained workforce and more informed citizenry. When given the opportunity, many people will return to school via distance learning programs, because they are convenient and allow flexibility for the student who is also a parent, employee, etc. It allows for greater access to resources, as students with particular interests and abilities can learn from experts anywhere in the world. Together, technology and education can help build strong communities and enable Americans to learn everyday.

RESOURCES:

Old Dominion University TELETECHNET Distance Learning Program www.odu.edu/home/distance.html

United States Distance Learning Association www.usdla.org

Distance Learning Resource Network www.dlrn.org

PRISON TELEMEDICINE

Broadband provides opportunities to overcome barriers, create cost-effective strategies, and provide needed services. Advanced telecommunications technology can lead to many benefits when it is applied to problems that have gone unresolved in the past. Broadband is not the solution itself, rather it empowers institutions to use technology as a component of their overall approach.

The Georgia Department of Corrections sought to utilize broadband to reduce costs and improve access to medical services at its facilities. The state currently houses 47,342 inmates and medical care is an important aspect of prison administration. Partnering with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), the Department of Corrections established a telemedicine system for its prisons, allowing for remote treatment of inmates. In 1993, the Department of Corrections began creating and implementing the framework. After several years of limited operations, the system was rebuilt, still in cooperation with MCG. In 2001, the Department of Corrections assumed full time responsibility for the network.

Today, the program services eleven prisons. Two of the facilities, one for men and the other for women, serve as hub sites where the specialty consultants are located. A Telemedicine Site Coordinator and a nurse staff each remote site. The inmates at the other nine facilities, rather than be transported to a central medical facility, are examined using telemedicine.

The prisons are connected by T-1 lines provided by BellSouth at a cost of $355,000 per year. Each facility is equipped with a telemedicine platform that supports medical devices such as electric stethoscopes, opthoscopes, and otoscopes, and can be used for viewing x-rays and teleconferencing between sites. With these tools, the medical personnel of the Department of Corrections can perform telepsychology services, conduct dermatological exams, and treat infectious diseases (HIV and Hepatitis C). In addition to the telemedicine functions, the prisons are using their broadband connections for distance learning applications. GED preparation courses are offered using video presentations from teachers outside the prison. Approximately 10% of inmates in education programs participate in the distance learning.

In 2001, the cost for transporting a male prisoner roundtrip from a remote facility to the central medical prison was $203. Using the telemedicine system, the Department of Corrections has been able to significantly reduce the number of prisoners that had to be transported for medical treatment. In FY 2002, the telemedicine system conducted 1,651 medical consults. So far in FY 2003, there have been 2,822 consults. If each of those consults had been transported to the central prison, it would have cost the state of Georgia $572,866. Compare these savings to the cost of the broadband connection ($355,000) and it is clear that the telemedicine system is more than paying for itself.

Beyond financial savings, the telemedicine system is increasing public safety. While difficult to quantify, it is certainly beneficial to have prisoners remain in their facility rather than be transported. The fewer number of excursions beyond the prison walls reduces the possibility of escapes and the strain on prison staff.

The Department of Corrections is considering expanding the program to include additional specialties such as telecardiology and further use of telepshycology services. There is also discussion of developing a system for urgent care treatment of prisoners, modeled on the Electronic Housecall telemedicine program used by the Medical College of Georgia for in-home care of chronic disease patients.

Broadband goes far beyond transmitting data. It offers solutions to complex public policy problems. Combining its attributes of speed and continuity with ubiquity (once deployment is universal), the technology can be of great value to society at large as an adaptable tool integrated into many arenas where traditional methods require innovative approaches to address modern issues.

RESOURCES:

Georgia Department of Corrections www.dcor.state.ga.us

National Institute of Justice evaluation of prison telemedicine networks http://www.ncjrs.org/telemedicine/toc.html

National Commission on Correctional Health Care http://www.ncchc.org/links/telemedicine.html

TELEMEDICINE TO THE HOME

Telemedicine, as defined by the American Telemedicine Association, is "the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications for the health and education of the patient or healthcare provider and for the purpose of improving patient care." As communications technology developed in the 1990s, telemedicine enjoyed a rapid growth. In 1991, the Association of Telehealth Service Providers (ATSP) identified three telemedicine programs operating in North America. In 2001, the number of programs identified had risen to 206. In 1999, ATSP estimated 74,828 telemedicine consults, excluding radiology work, occurred. This number increased from the 1997 figure of 41,740 telemedicine consults. As more Americans are able to utilize advanced telecommunications technology, telemedicine will continue to grow as a medical tool.

Dr. Max Stachura is an endocrinologist in Augusta, Georgia. He treats chronic diseases such as diabetes. Broadband and high-speed data transmissions have not been tools he carried in his doctor's bag. In the mid 1990s, Dr. Stachura assumed responsibility for the Telemedicine Center at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) where a statewide telemedicine program, supported by MCG and the state of Georgia had been underway for several years. A fledgling program to address home health care, supported by federal research dollars through the Department of the Army, state money from MCG and from the Georgia Research Alliance, also was being discussed. A steering committee comprised of representatives from the three collaborating institutions - the Fort Gordon/Eisenhower Army Medical Center (EAMC), Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT), and MCG - was assembled and tasked to put together a plan for a telemedicine program in home care of chronic disease that would yield tangible results. Funding requirements stipulated that the work be based on existing technologies, and not research into new systems.

Telemedicine today makes use of a variety of both home health monitoring devices/systems and health care facilities-based systems that connect rural primary care facilities to specialty consultation services. It augments current medical services by using technology to make care more accessible to the patient, more cost effective, and by giving the health care system more flexibility. Both provider and patient are empowered to manage conditions in the best possible manner.

Traditional healthcare has always been face-to-face between doctor and patient. The doctor uses traditional diagnostic instruments, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs to assess and treat whatever ailments the patient has. But in some settings this system encounters obstacles, distance and time restraints being two of the most pressing. The patient has to travel to reach the doctor and receives care by appointment except for more serious conditions where required treatment occurs in an emergency facility.

The team with whom Dr. Stachura was working was one of several groups trying to bring these two concepts together. They had to envision how doctor and patient might interact through a technology interface. They had to address the rate of data transmission. At that time transmission over regular phone lines was too slow and unacceptable. ISDN connections were costly and not available to every home. Finally, they reached an agreement with the local cable operator, who offered them dedicated bi-directional transmission. In 1996, they deployed a feasibility test of the system they had created into 25 homes in Augusta, Georgia, the "Electronic HouseCall System" (EHC).

EHC was a two-way system with one unit in the patient's home and the other located at MCG or EAMC. The patient unit required no computer sophistication (no mouse or keyboard) and used a touch screen instead. From the home unit, the patient could check his or her pulse, blood pressure, blood oxygenation, temperature, glucose levels and heart function with a modified lead 2 electrocardiogram without connecting to medical staff. This information was then sent to the medical staff. The patient and provider could also interact on-line through a videoconference activated by touching the appropriate icon. Once connected, the clinician could use a stethophone to expand examination of the patient. Even though the system was originally conceived as a tool to help monitor and manage known chronic diseases, rather than a tool for diagnostic assessment of a new patient, the utility of the system was in many ways tied to available bandwidth. For example, less than full motion video is not acceptable in certain medical situations. With broadband capability, the EHC system could incorporate a wider array of monitoring tools such as spirometers, fetal heart monitors and uterine activity monitors.

There were stories of success during the feasibility deployment. One patient who previously was admitted to the hospital every three or four months, was able to avoid hospitalizations during nine months on the EHC system because problems were detected early and resolved during a doctor's office visit scheduled as a result. Not long after the completion of the funded feasibility study, MCG and GIT licensed the patented EHC technology to industry (CyberCare, Inc.).

Now the MCG Telemedicine Center is exploring the breadth and depth of health service applications that can be enhanced through the use of a variety of telemedicine technologies. The EHC is just a single example of how telemedicine technologies can be used to enhance access to health care services and potentially reduce their over-all cost. EHC addresses chronic disease management, where both patient and care provider know the condition being managed. It requires broadband capability for optimal video and data transmission. However, development of advanced health care services are unlikely without dedicated high-speed connections. Current incarnations such as DSL and cable modems are acceptable, but still limit the scope of potential applications. With general bandwidth availability, telemedicine technologies can be used to expand access to medical services and explore the delivery of more sophisticated medical services.

There are significant unresolved questions raised by the possibilities created by telemedicine. For example, medical licensing: health care providers currently are licensed by the state in which they practice. How should we address the potential for caring for people across state and even national boundaries? There are funding issues: how shall we pay for the infrastructure required by telemedicine? These questions will be answered as the capability, utility, and potential of telemedicine evolves, and as familiarity and comfort make telemedicine more commonplace in medical care and treatment. Telemedicine does not replace in-person face-to-face health care; it is a multi-faceted tool to be employed, when appropriate, to enhance the delivery of health care services.

Regardless of these questions, the potential benefits of telemedicine are many. At its most fundamental level, telemedicine frees both the patient and the provider from brick and mortar limitations. The patient can address medical needs as necessary. The doctor is not limited to his office. In providing flexibility, telemedicine holds the potential to greatly increase cost effectiveness. Health care costs have skyrocketed in recent years; telemedicine offers a way to lower costs for both the patient and the provider. Its judicious use and application holds the promise of reducing the frequency and/or duration of hospital stays, reducing the frequency of physical office and home health care visits, expanding service availability to a greater number of patients at a lesser unit cost through more efficient use of provider time and facilities, and by generally supporting community wellness.

Dr. Stachura sums up the goal of telemedicine best - "Services to those who need them, where and when they need them."

RESOURCES:

Medical College of Georgia Telemedicine Center http://www.mcg.edu/Telemedicine/Index.html

American Telemedicine Association http://www.americantelemed.org

Association of Telehealth Service Providers http://www.atsp.org

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of the Advancement of Telehealth http://telehealth.hrsa.gov/

PUBLIC SAFETY

Fighting fires is a dangerous business. It requires discipline, hard work, training and quick reactions. Firefighters depend on knowledge of the situation they are facing when they enter burning buildings, so that they may make important decisions about combating the fire. The likelihood that a firefighter will save a life or avoid a catastrophe is determined by response time, which is measured in seconds. It can take only an instant for a fire to rage out of control and become deadly.

But what if firefighters could be equipped with the information they need before they get to the fire? What if they could get to the fire faster, be informed of the layout and structure of the building and have rapid communications with the other emergency vehicles involved? Such innovations would give firefighters an advantage that would allow them to address the situation more efficiently and afford better opportunities to control the fire with no casualties and minimal damage.

The fire department in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, took the steps to give their firefighters these tools. In October 1996, the Winston-Salem Fire Department received a TIIAP grant (the precursor to the Technology Opportunities Program grants) from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This money funded the Integrated Network Fire Operations (INFO) project, whose goal was to provide critical information in graphical form to the firefighters in the emergency vehicles.

The city's emergency vehicles were equipped with laptop computers that could display maps, building layouts, hydrant locations and the status of other emergency vehicles. The laptops in each truck are connected via mobile wireless technology at 19.2 Kbps. Current mobile wireless broadband has average transmission speeds of 14.4 Kbps, with the anticipated 3G technology expected to take this speed up to 2 Mbps. The laptops serve as direct communications links between the emergency vehicles and the dispatch center, as well as between vehicles. The firefighters interface with the system via touch screen icons and this transmission of data frees up communication over the traditional radio system.

Data is transmitted to the emergency vehicle from Winston-Salem's E911 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) mainframe system. The CAD identifies the nearest fire vehicles for the incident type and location. The address of the emergency, details on the incident, status of other responding units, pre-fire survey data, information on possible hazardous materials involved, existence of gas and water lines, condition of occupants at the location, and other data transmits from the CAD to the on-board computer.

When a fire alarm is initiated, the firefighters are immediately able to view the optimal route to the location. The city utilized global positioning satellite (GPS) technology to create a street centerline coverage that the computers then use to determine the fastest route to the emergency. The laptops in the emergency vehicles use the Geographical Information System (GIS) applications, which determine the route based on speed limits, one-way streets, turning movements allowed, etc. The GIS software also can alert the firefighters to any impediments on the route, such as downed power lines, and then create an alternate route.

Each fire station is connected to a citywide ISDN network and the firefighters constantly update information on their areas of responsibility. Data collected from building inspections, new construction and other information that is routinely changing are added to the system.

Before the INFO project, all the information was compiled in binders that were kept in each emergency vehicle and the binders held information for that vehicle's home territory. If the vehicle had to respond to a large-scale emergency in another section of the city, the firefighters would have no advance knowledge of that location. The INFO project allows the fire department to respond to an emergency with a strong knowledge about the situation. Firefighters can be equally prepared for action even when they are working at a station that is not their usual assignment, as is often the case in large departments.

Communications technology has allowed the Winston-Salem Fire Department to revolutionize its services. With enhanced information, firefighters are able to control emergency situations and protect communities better than ever. As transmission speeds increase, along with other technological advances, firefighters will have even more tools. Imagine if each firefighter was equipped with a wireless device that could transmit his or her exact location in a building, as well as vital signs, water pressure on the hose and oxygen remaining in the airpack. If that firefighter needed assistance or was injured, other firefighters could immediately respond, based on information displayed on the computer in the emergency vehicle or on another handheld device. The key to fighting fires is reacting quickly to changing situations. Information transmitted at high speeds gives firefighters the ability to respond as quickly as possible.

RESOURCES:

City of Winston-Salem Fire Department www.cityofws.org/fire

Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) www.ntia.doc.gov/top

REAL TIME SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING

Sign language interpreters have become commonplace in society. They are often seen on television and at meetings and conventions. But where they are not seen, and often are in the most use, is in the everyday activities of people who are deaf. These individuals need interpreters for routine tasks, such as going to the doctor or even just having a conversation with a friend. This process requires scheduling an appointment with an interpreting agency, coordinating this with the doctor's appointment or the schedules of other people involved in the activity, waiting for the interpreter to arrive and then perhaps still being unable to finish a conversation if the interpreter has to leave for another client.

These problems are still great for those who are deaf, compounded in most areas of the country where the number of interpreters is relatively small, but there is an alternative.

Sign Language Associates (SLA) of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a full service interpreting agency. It was founded in 1982 and today has a staff of 48 full time interpreters. They provide interpreters for meetings, conferences, performing arts shows, emergency situations, hospices and individual needs. The cost for these in-person interpreters is $150 for the first hour and $40 for each additional hour. Clients must pay for the full hour and travel costs for the interpreters.

In the early 1990s, SLA began investigating video conferencing as a medium for remote interpreting. However, the equipment was prohibitively expensive and the video technology was not suitable for sign language. By 1996, several pilot programs were being tested as the technology had developed to the point where transmission was clear enough and fast enough to accommodate the visual language. In 1997, SLA began offering the Video Interpreting Program (VIP).

VIP is an ISDN video conferencing system, which transmits data and images at 384 Kbps. This speed is necessary to avoid drag images and to ensure that both the interpreter and the client can view the intricate hand movements of sign language. The interpreter works from SLA's offices and the client can be anywhere, so long as their location has the video conferencing devices and a high speed connection. The ISDN connection requires two pieces of equipment, a Coder/Decoder and an NT-1 box, both of which come standard with video conferencing packages. Since 1997, SLA has upgraded the system to include an IP connection, but again the client must have a high-speed service to access VIP over the Internet.

The price for the VIP service is a $50 reservation fee and then $2.50 per minute. The benefits of the system are two fold. First, the client only pays for the time needed. If they only need interpreting for a fifteen-minute conversation, with VIP they do not have to pay for a full hour. Clients can utilize the system when and how they need, without being tied to the schedule of the interpreter. The interpreters can serve more clients by not losing time in travel between sites.

As technology develops, SLA is researching home-based systems that would be inexpensive and highly efficient for many clients. Currently, most video interpreting is done with business and government clients because they have the necessary video conferencing equipment and the broadband connection.

The possibilities for video sign language interpretation are immense. Primarily, it allows for complete independence for people who are deaf. With increasing wireless options, people who are deaf could take handheld devices with them and at any time connect to an interpreter for whatever time needed. They can have conversations in private using sign language with other deaf individuals, a far more effective and appropriate means of communication than impersonal and difficult written communication over TTYs or message services. On an institutional level, hospitals would not need to have emergency arrangements for interpreters, they could use a video connection in the emergency room. Schools could have all classes interpreted. And the list goes on.

Broadband is a tool that enables many forms of communications. As the advent of technologies such as cellular phones and email have brought us into greater communication with each other, the rise of broadband and advanced services provides opportunities to live and work efficiently and independently.

RESOURCES:

Sign Language Associates www.signlanguage.com

Telecommunications for the Deaf www.tdi-online.org

Polycom View Station (provider of the video conferencing equipment) www.polycom.com

BUILDING COMMUNITY NETWORKS

Community networking is a key aspect of broadband deployment. Connecting local centers of activity is an important step in accelerating universal access to advanced services and delivering a wide range of services to local residents. Networks gain value as more people are connected and communities can grow dramatically through interactions made possible by advanced telecommunications technology. Community centers can join together to develop broadband connectivity and thereby provide the first points of access to the technology and create an environment when underserved populations can explore the broadband world. Equipping community access points with broadband is also an effective way to provide training and instruction to community members who might otherwise not have the skills to utilize the applications made possible by advanced telecommunications services.

Community leaders in metropolitan Boston identified a need and demand for accessible locally informative, multi-lingual and multi-cultural content based in advanced telecommunications technology. Collaborators in the project envisioned an integrated approach involving simultaneous development of a dynamic broadband infrastructure, an increase in the amount of relevant broadband content that engages all segments of the community, and provision of access, education, training and support in advanced technologies and applications. To realize this vision, local institutions joined together to form the Greater Boston Broadband Network (GBBN), a model of how communities can work together to create a comprehensive public information system that uses broadband to address the needs and interest of underserved communities.

Today, the project is called the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative and is comprised of many local community technology groups, including the UMass/Boston College of Public and Community Service, Boston Neighborhood Network, the Technology Center at Codman Square Health Center, Cambridge Community Television, Somerville Community Access Television, Malden Access Television, the Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, CTCNet, and the Northeast Region of the Alliance for Community Media.

Building on the state university's institutional network, which extends to key community points in Boston and Lowell and connects the campuses, and the fiber connection between Cambridge and Somerville that was established in their cable franchise agreements with AT&T Broadband (now Comcast AT&T), the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative provides high-speed links to community organizations. The connection of these community access centers allows unprecedented collaboration in digital media.

On November 15, 2001, the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative launched its first program, "The Politics of Public Access Cable and the Community Technology Movement." The presentation included a live performance in the interactive distance learning center at UMass Boston and participants teleconferenced in from Florida. From there, it was cablecast by the Boston Neighborhood Network, and sent via the fiber optic network to the distance education center at UMass/Lowell where it was distributed to an international audience via webstreaming. Finally, an online chat was inserted into the live event. It was truly integrated multimedia, requiring broadband for execution and distribution. This would not have been possible without the community connections the Collaborative had fostered.

As the Collaborative seeks to grow, it is looking for methods to generate greater access to high-speed services for access centers, community technology centers and non-profits. The members plan additional programming, including a project called "First Tuesday" which will cover community technology development and will be presented in a similar format as the earlier programs. The program will be cablecast and Webcast on the first Tuesday of every month, beginning on February 4^, 2003. Also under consideration is implementation of a video-on-demand system, where content can be accessed at any time.

The Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative has modeled the creation of a very new public space - simultaneous cablecasting over local community cable channels in the region combined with universal distribution via Webcasting and live interactive audience participation. As more community centers express interest in becoming involved, the group is exploring avenues to extend the university telecommunications infrastructure and access the existing network that supports the municipal cable systems. Along with the development of this broadband distribution system, the convergence of community technology centers developing advanced multi-media applications and cable access centers migrating toward digital video drives the need for new broadband connections as well. The qualitative change and development of the content will be reflected in a comparison of the previous programming and the new "First Tuesday" series.

The Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative demonstrates how community based organizations can work in conjunction to address the media, information and technology needs of their neighborhoods. Broadband provides the tools for these organizations to connect to each other, create content, reach out to the underserved areas and build stronger bonds in the community. This fusion of delivery and content showcases the potential of broadband as a vehicle for community development.

RESOURCES:

Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative www.cpcs.umb.edu/cmt/cbcmedia

CTCNet www.ctcnet.org

BROADBAND ON WHEELS

A growing problem in the provision of broadband Internet connections is the widening gap between information rich and information poor. It is costly to subscribe to most broadband services and many low-income Americans are unable to obtain access in their homes. Yet these Americans have great opportunities available through broadband, including medical information, job training and continuing education.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, people in low-income neighborhoods have broadband rolling up to their doors. In October 2001, the Grand Rapids Community Media Center (CMC) unveiled MOLLIE, the Mobile Learning Lab for Information Education. This "broadband on wheels" will travel to low-income neighborhoods and schools to provide computer training and access. MOLLIE was made possible by funding from SBC/Ameritech, a $234,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education and matching funds raised by CMC. In addition to MOLLIE, CMC provides training in radio, television, and information technology, as well as access to all the equipment necessary to implement the training. Multi-media transmission possibilities available through the CMC include cable TV, broadcast radio, and the Internet.

MOLLIE contains 20 iBook computers and transmits and receives over a wireless network based on the new 802.11b protocol. The transmission rates are at 2.4 Ghz. CMC is in the process of developing a wireless LAN using 802.11a, which will transmit at 5.4 Ghz. This network should be able to accommodate 10 Mbps of data transport. Beyond the wireless capability, there are plans to incorporate Ku Band satellite broadband in MOLLIE once the signal is installed at CMC.

The goal of the MOLLIE project is to bring computer and video technology to underserved areas where it is not available. In addition to the computers, MOLLIE contains Sony hand-held video cameras, and the CMC staff train users in video and content production. Audio, video and computer data are routed back to the CMC for possible transmission on the local FM radio station, public access cable station and streaming on the Internet.

MOLLIE is reaching out to many different communities in Grand Rapids. A migrant workers group with ties to Mexico City is using MOLLIE to communicate with family and friends in Mexico. Inner city middle school students are using MOLLIE to build web sites. High school students in Kentwood are working with MOLLIE to bring access and training to a senior citizens center. Community organizing groups, utilizing MOLLIE's laptops, are bringing people together for discussions of issues. The laptops are at different locations and send the data from each user to one main screen at a meeting and to all the people participating online.

MOLLIE is an excellent example of community-based solutions to some of the problems in broadband deployment. With uneven deployment and high costs, it often falls to community institutions to find ways to bring broadband to underserved citizens. Community groups, such as CMC, can partner with companies to develop programs like MOLLIE that address the specific needs of local neighborhoods. CMC saw that the low-income areas needed access to technology and found a solution that worked. Communities across America are finding ways to bring broadband and other technologies to their areas, even if the competitive market is failing to serve them.

RESOURCES:

Grand Rapids Community Media Center www.grcmc.org

MOLLIE project www.grandnet.org/wip/mollie

Alliance for Community Media www.alliancecm.org

WIRELESS BROADBAND THROUGH THE SNOW

Some communities have little hope of obtaining wireline broadband access, given virtually insurmountable geographic barriers. There are remote communities in America that still lack basic telephone service and broadband is not a high priority. But there is much evidence that broadband can transform life in isolated communities and the struggle to provide services to these marginalized areas is a key element of the overall effort to deploy broadband to all Americans.

The state of Alaska presents one of the greatest challenges in providing universal broadband access. The vast rural areas and the challenging weather make communications infrastructure incredibly difficult to install and maintain. Internet access is limited and sporadic, with services often unreliable. The Denali Commission, a federal-state partnership established by Congress to provide critical utilities, infrastructure and economic support throughout Alaska, reported that 164 communities in the state (61% of the total number of communities) could not access the Internet via a local dial-up service, to say nothing of broadband.

General Communications, Inc (GCI), an Alaska-based integrated communications provider, sought to spread broadband access to these remote communities. They launched a $15 million project to deliver high-speed services to 152 communities across Alaska, 112 of which were included in the Denali Commission list of areas unserved by a local ISP. GCI employs cable modems, DSL and wireless technology to provide broadband access.

The GCI wireless model is particularly suitable for deployment in rural Alaska where communities are isolated but compact. GCI's service requires a four-inch dish at the customer's home or office, served by a three to four foot antenna on a forty-foot mast located at the satellite earth station in the community. The technology is similar to commercial quality WiFi, where the signal is pushed out from a central point and accessible via wireless connections in the surrounding area. The service is currently offered at 56 Kbps or 256 Kbps download speeds, with about 90% of the consumers choosing the higher bandwidth option.

The wireless platform is a critical component in serving these Alaskan communities. Several communities are demonstrating the power of this technology through partnerships with GCI, using applications that are changing the lives of the residents of these rural areas. For example, in Shageluk, a village accessible only by air or water (like most villages) and where only half the residents have phone lines, the school obtained funding from the E-rate program, a provision under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requiring carriers to provide affordable access to schools and libraries, to purchase wireless services from GCI. Now, the broadband connection is functioning as a direct link to previously unavailable information. Students are learning about issues important in their community, such as the environment, and also getting current news that before the connection would not arrive in Shageluk until days after events happened. The school in Shageluk serves as a community center; students and the three teachers tutor adults on the technology after school and also maintain the school and community website. Distance learning is available in some areas in conjunction with the University of Alaska Southeast.

Another benefit of this technology is its reach into minority areas. Many residents of the remote communities in Alaska are Native Americans, who traditionally have been underserved by all forms of technology. While Alaska is one of the most rural areas, Native Americans in other parts of the country face similar obstacles and solutions must be devised to address these shortfalls. Collaborations between Native American communities, broadband service providers and government agencies are crucial for advancing the universal service goals of Section 706 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

Wireless broadband is an outstanding technology for delivering services to those areas of the country that are difficult to serve by traditional means. Broadband is a platform that is not limited to its current forms; it is continuously evolving. To bring its life enhancing potential to those underserved communities will take evolving understanding and embracing of new ideas.

RESOURCES:

General Communications Inc. www.gci.com

Denali Commission www.denali.gov

Innoko River School, Shageluk, Alaska http://szshx.shx.iasd.gcisa.net

INFOTRICITY

Many communities desire access to broadband, but they are unable to obtain the services because of cost, geography, lack of investment, infrastructure needs and other shortfalls. What alternatives exist for these areas? Creating economic incentive for private sector investment is difficult, due to regulatory barriers, economic uncertainty and geographic factors that increase the cost of deployment. Vision and a willingness to innovate are necessary to fashion solutions to the broadband problems in many of America's smaller communities.

Glasgow, Kentucky, a small agricultural town of 14,000 residents, has combined infrastructure and innovation to build a broadband network that is as accessible as electric service. Glasgow is served by the Electric Plant Board (EPB), a municipally owned public power utility. In 1989, EPB began to offer cable services to residents over its newly constructed hybrid fiber coax (HFC) broadband network at substantially lower rates than the local private cable company. Thus began Glasgow's Broadband Information Highway Project.

Beginning with a $2.4 million investment, EPB constructed 120 miles of broadband facilities and offered its first high speed Internet service in 1995. Today, the EPB provides HomeLAN, a 1 Mbps symmetrical cable modem service, to Glasgow residents for $24 per month. To compare, the national average price for cable modem service is $45.31 per month. EPB pays the same franchise fee and taxes to the city government that any private service provider would pay. The system currently has 2,930 subscribers and EPB believes the network is headed toward 100% penetration of high speed Internet service. Their goal is to offer broadband service at each point where they have an electric meter.

The EPB superintendent, William Ray, describes the operation as an "infotricity utility." This combination of existing infrastructure with new services is a unique solution to the complicated problem of broadband access. Currently, fifty-nine public power entities in the United States are providing some form of broadband service. In Glasgow, the entry of the EPB has spurred competition in the broadband market. South Central Rural Telephone recently began offering DSL service to Glasgow residents. The existence of multiple providers of broadband is very rare in rural America. The innovation of "infotricity" has allowed Glasgow to reach a level of technology penetration usually reserved for large cities.

What has the infotricity model done for life in Glasgow? Over the past fourteen years, customers have saved approximately $30 million in reduced cable and Internet rates. Glasgow has the lowest unemployment rate in the state of Kentucky and business growth is high. Each of Glasgow's schools has direct fiber optic connections to the network and transmission speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The Glasgow Independent School System has taken advantage of the new capacity to enhance education and the entire community as well. The broadband network enables the schools to transmit video from any classroom to every television in the town.

A unique project made possible by the EPB broadband network began last year and is offering improved solutions to a common problem. 1,200 streetlights in the city are being outfitted with control units connected to the broadband network that will allow for the lights to be monitored on a secure website. Previously, many streetlights would "cycle," repeatedly turning on and off. Repairing this problem was time consuming and expensive. The new broadband monitoring system will ensure continuous operation of the lights, identify malfunctions and allow for immediate response, reduce overall energy usage by the streetlights, and lower maintenance costs.

Building a broadband network via an existing public power grid is not possible in every American community. What can be transferred to any city or town is the initiative demonstrated by Glasgow; it is an innovative solution that can fit in many places and one that can be modified to conform to particular local parameters. Identifying the need for broadband, examining local resources and devising the most efficient course of action for that community are the fundamental actions that all localities can take to move toward ubiquitous broadband in their neighborhoods.

RESOURCES:

Glasgow, KY Electric Plant Board www.glasgow-ky.com/epb

American Public Power Association www.appanet.org

RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Broadband has many uses. But its uses are limited if the number of people connected is low. Beyond the particular applications, broadband connections can unite communities and allow them to flourish. Expanded telecommunications capabilities allow citizens to interact with their government, businesses to reach potential customers and create new jobs, students to access information resources all over the world and other daily uses that improve quality of life. But the connection must first be made.

LaGrange, Georgia has taken the initiative and made the connection. LaGrange is a city of approximately 27,000 residents, sixty miles southwest of Atlanta. The county seat of rural Troup County, LaGrange sits on Interstate 85, which is commonly called the growth corridor of the South. In the early 1990s, the leaders of LaGrange viewed the shifts in the economy and understood the vital role technology would play in the new economic model.

A decade of technology infrastructure planning ensued. The city believed that economic development would be fostered with the development of an advanced telecommunications system that is rarely found in rural communities. LaGrange was already a provider of utility services such as electricity and natural gas and saw an opportunity for growth in providing telecommunications. After becoming a local and long distance service provider, with offerings including T1 lines, the city sought to acquire the local cable system. In 1998, through a $9.6 million bond, LaGrange entered into a unique public/private partnership with local cable operator Charter Communications. LaGrange bought the local transmission lines and the equipment and agreed to lease channel capacity back to Charter to provide video entertainment. LaGrange then began an upgrade of the cable system to provide more advanced services.

"We could have overbuilt Charter," said Joe Maltese, the city's director of community and economic development. "We would have been competitors. What we wanted was to be in the telecom business in order to complement our other enterprises, and to be able to offer our citizens and businesses access to state of the art broadband networks."

The upgrade of the cable system entailed the deployment of a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network that enabled LaGrange to offer residents 500 Kbps broadband Internet service via cable modem, free e-mail and 5 megabytes of space for a website for $39.95 per month. Broadband connections of up to 2 Mbps are available to commercial and residential consumers. The broadband network today encompasses more than 150 miles. All 21 area public schools, LaGrange College and the West Georgia Technical Institute are connected via broadband.

But LaGrange wasn't finished. On March 22, 2000, LaGrange Mayor Jeff Lukken announced that the city would begin offering free broadband Internet service over television via the cable system. LaGrange Internet TV (LITV) is available to all cable subscribers within the system (of the 10,500 TV households in LaGrange, 9,100 are cable subscribers). Customers are given a wireless keyboard, set-top box, five email addresses and a parental control feature. The broadband connection offers service at about 150 Kbps. Approximately 4,500 households requested that the LITV service be installed in their home. Many others opted to connect through the city's and Charter's high speed cable modem service or via a dial-up connection.

This connection is having a discernable impact on life in LaGrange. One of the first beneficiaries of the Internet TV initiative was the senior citizen population. The Troup County Senior Center reported that seniors are using the Internet connection to research insurance policies, gather information about medical conditions and interact with other seniors who may have similar conditions, email grandchildren and trace family histories. Local banks have made presentations to the senior groups about online banking.

Local businesses reach more customers with the spread of Internet connections. A local business-to-consumer e-commerce initiative is under way, with plans to create a virtual mall in the works. This mall would have free listing to every business in LaGrange and visitors to the site would be able to perform all their e-commerce functions with a variety of businesses in one place.

Mayor Lukken described his vision for the Internet TV initiative as "a community wide communications network that will allow citizens to communicate on a variety of topics including school assignments and activities; postings for civic meetings and job openings; and other community events, sports, entertainment and the arts, as well as local e-commerce. Additionally, plans are underway to develop a community-wide email and local content directory to facilitate increased communications within the community."

In August 2000, the World Teleport Association named LaGrange "Intelligent City" for 2000, the first American city to ever receive the honor. LaGrange illustrates how a connected community can flourish, both socially and economically. Through the city's initiative, there is strong use of the telecommunications technology that is so vital today.

LaGrange is an example of "Connecting Each to All." The value of the network grows as more people are connected to it. Sharing information builds strong community bonds. Community building in the 21^st century is no longer solely about traditional infrastructure like roads and houses. Now, the new infrastructure that unites the community via broadband and communications technology is equally critical. LaGrange and its citizens will experience rapid growth because they are able to communicate with each other and with the world.

RESOURCES:

City of LaGrange www.la-grange-ga.org

World Teleport Association http://www.worldteleport.org/

DELIVERING THE PROMISE

Lessons Learned

Many of the communities profiled in this report did far more than simply find creative ways to build out broadband access. They utilized this access as a powerful tool for education, community development and cost saving. These projects illustrate the incredible potential to meet community needs in new ways, if there are adequate opportunities to experiment and innovate at the local level.

Of course, creating multi-media learning environments and participating in telehealth applications are not easy or obvious propositions. Accelerating digital opportunity for all is curtailed not only by the uneven access to the technologies at this stage of broadband deployment, but also by the lack of knowledge and skills, both among end users and technical staff. Health professionals, farmers, teachers and curators are all good at what they do, but they need training and guidance in order for them to make the plunge into using broadband to advance their missions. It is important that practitioners have venues to share information about ways new technologies can help them participate in powerful community solutions.

Public Policy Tools For Ensuring Universal Broadband Access

It is a difficult process to create broadband access and many communities simply do not have the resources to attempt such efforts. Mechanisms are needed that nurture community efforts, offering information, resources and support.

The federal government has some programs that contribute to community development of broadband. The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the Community Technology Centers (CTC) program offer grants that often bring first points of access to technology and telecommunications. The Rural Utilities Service administers grant programs designed to bring telemedicine and distance learning to geographically remote areas. The E-rate program offers funding and discounts for schools and libraries to obtain Internet access. However, these programs are underfunded and often targeted for elimination in budget proposals.

In order to promote strong efforts at the community level and bolster opportunities for access, the federal government can take action. The following recommendations are designed to accelerate broadband deployment in communities across the country.

1. Dedicate efforts to the creation of a national broadband policy and reinforce commitment to the goal of universal broadband deployment embodied in Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act.

2. Adequately fund existing programs such as TOP, CTC, E-rate and the RUS grants and seek opportunities to develop broadband specific demonstration projects.

3. Develop comprehensive data collection mechanisms for assessing broadband deployment and access in order to identify communities in need.

4. Create regulatory certainty, so communities and local organizations are not faced with confusing, contradictory and overlapping regulations.

5. Encourage aggregation of demand in communities where economic and other factors have limited deployment. Community institutions, such as hospitals and colleges, can join together to offer an attractive opportunity for partnership with service providers.

6. Commit resources to training people in the "twenty-first century skills" needed to take advantage of advanced technologies.

7. Support public interest uses of advanced technology resources, such as the Digital Opportunity Investment Trust (www.digitalpromise.org), for creation of compelling content in the broadband world.

8. Through public policy, create incentives for a robust and competitive broadband marketplace and tools for intervention when the market fails to serve.

Broadband will continue to develop and more Americans will experience its benefits. However, without efforts at all levels of government and society, it will not be a technology shared by all people. Now is the time for action. As the evidence of broadband's revolutionary potential mounts, the technology must be made affordable, accessible and useable for all Americans.

If we are to create the connected communities envisioned here, then we must move from a discussion of speed and providers to one of applications and benefits, with an unwavering focus on the public interest. The programs and communities profiled are not concerned with which broadband platform is available to them. Their interest lies in their ability to utilize the service for applications that enrich their neighborhoods. So long as the service is available at speeds sufficient for their application, then their efforts can be directed toward providing benefits. This is the crucial message. People don't want to talk about broadband, they want to get their hands on it and use it.