State Broadband Initiatives to Detail Best Practices for Adoption and Deployment in Upcoming Conferences

The Utah Broadband Project split the state into seven regions for more targeted broadband planning, and they will all be represented at its conference Oct. 24, co-hosted by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). “This conference will be focused on best practices at a local level, so these regions can engage with each other,” Kelleigh Cole, GOED project manager, told us. Panels will focus on adoption and underserved populations. Representatives from Sorenson Communications, which is a video relay service provider, tribal representatives and groups to help seniors use the Internet will speak about how they are working to connect their communities to broadband, said Cole. FirstNet and social media will be discussed by a panel on how broadband can help first responders and emergency preparedness, said Cole. Google Fiber, which announced its first deadlines for its service in Provo earlier this month (CD Oct 3 p12), will give customers more information about the service, and Utopia will participate in a panel about commercial broadband access, said Cole.

The Wyoming Broadband Summit Oct. 29 will focus on how broadband can help various sectors in the state such as health, education, tourism and the government. The summit is sponsored by Wyoming Gov. Matthew Mead, LinkWYOMING and the Wyoming Business Council. Representatives of data center companies such as Microsoft, Ptolemy Data Systems and Green House Data will participate in a panel on energy opportunities in the state, Troy Babbitt, Wyoming Department of Enterprise Technology Services broadband enterprise architect, told us. “We have lots of energy opportunities with minerals, natural gas and coal to power data centers in our state.” Mead and State Chief Information Officer Flint Waters will keynote on broadband and upcoming technology plans in the state, said Babbitt. Verizon and AT&T representatives will participate in a panel on mobile wireless broadband, and program representatives from LinkWYOMING will share their success stories, said Babbitt.

Connect Michigan’s conference, co-sponsored with the Library of Michigan, will focus Thursday on best practices for individuals and small businesses, said Eric Frederick, Connect Michigan Executive Director, at a Broadband Breakfast webinar Tuesday. “Statewide research shows that small businesses, those with under 20 employees, do not have broadband or a website, so we are working with those who support small businesses like a Chamber of Commerce to build awareness about the need for broadband.” Connect Michigan also implemented a community-enabled broadband expansion program to help communities become more engaged in getting broadband service, said Frederick. “Communities have been doing surveys on broadband for a long time, but they don’t share that information with service providers,” he said. “We are conducting surveys that show service providers that the demand is there and people are willing to pay for the service.” For its day-long summit, Connect Michigan invited those representing national, state and local perspectives to speak about broadband and economic development, including Aspen Institute Fellow Blair Levin, Michigan Economic Development Corp. CEO Michael Finney and Michigan State University Telecommunications Department Chairman Johannes Bauer.

The Oregon Connections Telecommunications Conference, hosted by the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, will focus on how apps are driving forward innovation in the state, Christopher Tamarin, Oregon Business Development Department telecom strategist, told us. Since the annual conference’s start in 1995, it has focused on broadband deployment and availability, and it has showcased various federal, state and local grants received in Oregon, said Tamarin. “In this conference, we are looking at how major developments in apps affect how we are interacting with the Internet.” (sfriedman@warren-news.com)