Thanks to the ConnectKentucky program, 94 percent of Kentucky households can now get broadband, compared to only 60 percent in 2001. GovTech Magazine reports Kentucky will be the only state in the nation to have full broadband coverage by the end of the year — meaning every citizen in the state will be able to subscribe to some form of high-speed Internet.
The United States Congress hopes to replicate Kentucky’s success.
A bipartisan Connect the Nation Act of 2007 (pdf) has been filed by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) to encourage the rapid deployment of affordable broadband Internet service throughout the nation, particularly in rural areas. Kentucky’s private-public partnership has invested some $650 million in public/private partnerships and is said to have influenced FCC rules for the spectrum auction, according to e-Week.
The legislation supports a grant program, similar to ConnectKentucky, that encourages public-private partnerships to accelerate broadband availability and technology literacy throughout the commonwealth.
Local “eCommunity Leadership Teams” in Kentucky create local technology strategies across multiple sectors including: local government, business and industry, education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, libraries, and community-based organizations. The local teams generate and aggregate demand by identifying ways to better leverage technology in local communities.
ConnectKentucky has formed a national umbrella organization called Connected Nation. Connected Nation assists with statewide comprehensive technology expansion efforts to improve economic development, healthcare, education and public safety, in addition to providing a better way of life for Americans.
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State-Wide Initiatives
Michigan, North Carolina, Utah and Kentucky, to name a few, have Broadband Authorities that make ubiquitous broadband a priority.
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Today, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced $7.5 million in tax exemptions and credits for businesses to expand broadband access — providing cell phone and high-speed Internet service for 350,000 Wisconsin citizens.
The tax credits will help nine businesses invest more than $80 million to expand broadband access — benefiting 261 communities in 63 counties across the state. Doyle announced the tax credits as part of the broad effort to grow the economy in Northern Wisconsin.
The nine Wisconsin businesses will invest more than $80 million to install equipment providing broadband service. The projects will reach 261 communities in 63 counties.
In Grand Rapids, Clearwire is building a WiMAX network that covers all 45 square miles of the city with the city trading access to infrastructure in exchange for reduced rates. Clearwire only requires 10 to 15 towers to cover the entire town, versus some 25 WiFi access points per square mile for WiFi (about 1,000 devices).
Do the math.
Here’s a rough, back-on-the-napkin comparison — 1000 APs x $3K = $3M for WiFi, vrs 15 WiMax basestations X $20K = $300K for WiMAX. That’s about 1/10th the cost. It seems to follow that if you can give away “free” WiFi in a $3 million dollar system, you might give away “free” broadband in a Mobile WiMAX system costing only 1/10th as much. And there’s voice.
Could it scale state-wide? Nobody’s done it (yet). If 100 square miles costs $500K, then 1000 sq mi might run $5M while 10,000 or 100,000 sq miles might cost $50M or $500M. Give or take. WiMAX Forum has white papers promoting a variety of business and technical models.
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VERMONT:
RHODE ISLAND:
SOUTH CAROLINA:
OREGON: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 |
Three planned statewide broadand wireless networks in the United States include the states of South Carolina (31,000 square miles), Vermont (9,249 square miles), and Rhode Island (1,044 square miles).
General Dynamics won the $10B federal IWN contract, to build thousands of 700MHz towers in every city across the country. Companies that are part of the team include IBM, M/A-COM, Nortel and Verizon Wireless.
Whether General Dynamics will get to implement the nationwide interoperable radio network is uncertain. In March, DOJ Inspector General Glenn Fine said the Integrated Wireless Network, designed to deliver interoperability for the nation’s law enforcement agencies, is at “high risk of failure” (pdf).
Qwest is seeking permission from Portland to start offering video service to some parts of the city as soon as next year over a new “fiber-to-the-neighborhood” network. According to documents obtained by Broadband Reports, Qwest appears to be training employees in preparation for a broader deployment of fiber to the node and VDSL or ADSL2+ technology. New Qwest CEO Edward A. Mueller will be deciding how aggressively to pursue that market, and Portland is one of the first places where that decision will play out, says The Oregonian.
Related DailyWireless articles include; Wireless Houston: Size Queen?, Statewide/Nationwide Wireless Broadband, State-wide Wireless Broadband Access, South Carolina Proposes Statewide Free Wireless, Rural Broadband Dying, and Statewide Wimax in Rhode Island, Congress: Measure Broadband Better!, Verizon Makes its Move for Universal Service Fund, Verizon’s $6B Smackdown, ConnectKentucky, Qwest Proposes Universal Service Changes, Oregon Fiber for Google, Oregon’s $500 Million Statewide Wireless Network.
“In Grand Rapids, Clearwire is building a WiMAX network that covers all 45 square miles of the city with the city trading access to infrastructure in exchange for reduced rates. Clearwire only requires 10 to 15 towers to cover the entire town, versus some 25 WiFi access points per square mile for WiFi (about 1,000 devices). ”
My comments:
This is one of the weakest arguements I have heard in comparing these compatible systems. Point #1: WiMAX needs proprietary Handhelds which are going to cost the end user. Mesh uses open standard ubiquitous sets.
Point#2 The 2.5Ghz spectrum being used by WiMAX (in this case Fixed WiMAX) will work nicely in Line of Site and in some congetsed metro markets where it can leverage reflections in Non Line of Site targets. However, when one introduces Trees or major foliage this spectrum goes South very quickly-no matter what the Radio EXPERTS tell you. In short major Rural markets with trees may not apply.
Point#3 WiFi based Mesh products operate under foliage and are viable outdoors in portable and mobile mode today.
Point#4 WIFi based Mesh networks (properly designed-not single radio mesh) will deliver 3-6 Mbps/sub of throughput across a network.
Point#5 Compatibility: Fixed WiMAX (licensed and unlicensed) is being used today for backhaul for WiFi based Mesh Networks.
The real competition here is not Mesh but the Cell Carriers who are spinning their Narrowband (512Kbps average) network services as a data solution.
The 700Mhz spectrum, if won by providers other then CellCos, will change the entire Portable/Mobile and Fixed Broadband Wireless space. When the WiMAX forum opens up to 700Mhz and Intel begins offering a dual radio Centrino solution (802.11n (access) and 700Mhz WiMAX radios) the CellCo will effectively have to return to their Voice services for revenue and begin experiencing what the Telco Wired voice folks went thru.
May be dreaming but it also may happen-Google/Sprint have the deep pockets and the know how to compete for Nationwdie 700Mhz.
Jacomo
Left by jacomo on August 14th, 2007