News and Updates

Connected Nation doesn’t know how to do the mapping properly, but they’re the only one publicly proposing they have the knowledge and resources.

Our partners do have the resources and have proven scientific results on the most accurate broadband mapping that includes wireless, copper, cable and even fiber.

In the interim, here are the notes from Connected Nation’s ex=parte meeting with the NTIA as filed on the NTIA’s BTOP website.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comment.cfm?e=A5975F90-E10E-4695-9F5A-821F0686B521

NOTICE OF MEETING

On March 4, 2009, Tim Sloan, Dennis Amari, Alfred Lee, and Jim McConnaughey of NTIA’s Domestic Policy Office initiated a meeting with Brian Mefford and Phillip Brown of Connected Nation. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Connected Nation’s methodology for creating maps of broadband services availability and adoption in various States. During that discussion, Connected Nation made the following points:

•A reliable map depicting the availability and adoption of broadband services is critical to the development of orderly, transparent, and measurable projects to address unserved areas or to foster broadband service demand. A Geographic Information System (GIS) format at the street level is used for mapping and “gap” (identifying unserved or underserved areas) analysis.

•Mapping the availability/adoption of broadband service should be coupled with efforts to stimulate broadband demand in order to induce broadband service providers – both wired and wireless—to supply deployment data. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are important to legally protect confidential and proprietary information. Other useful mapping includes statewide maps that depict (average) actual upload and download speeds.

•If Federal funding of broadband mapping includes a requirement for non-Federal matching funds, the government should allow matching funds to be provided over multiple years. The government should also limit the use of in-kind payments as matching funds.