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Community Outreach Update
February 2012
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Message from the CEO
Hello! I hope you are all staying warm during this cold, February month. The staff at EAGLE-Net is very busy with planning and finalizing plans for the EAGLE-Net network build across each section of the state. It is a large team effort to meet our goals of having 72% of the network built by August 2012 and the network complete by August 31, 2013. With our dedicated EAGLE-Net team and our partners from G4S and IBM, the EAGLE-Net network will bring broadband connectivity to citizens across Colorado.
Most people think of construction as shovels in the ground. At EAGLE-Net, we think of construction a little differently with two aspects in our design build process. The first is the network construction which is currently keeping us very busy, and the second is the physical construction which is the "turning of dirt" to install new infrastructure. We are currently in the midst of network construction which includes acquiring IRUs (indefeasible rights of use) across the state of Colorado for leasing existing dark fiber available on a long-term agreement according to BTOP grant policies. This enables us to make the most use out of existing infrastructure that qualifies under NTIA guidelines, and develop partnerships across the state with other providers.
We also have recently opened a lab and warehouse space in Westminster where our engineering team can test and program the equipment to be used on the EAGLE-Net network peering ring and its points of interconnect. By programming and testing the equipment in-house before deploying it in the field, our engineering team can work out any bugs for a faster installation and "turn up" on the EAGLE-Net network. Our internal staff and construction vendors are busy finalizing design plans, filing for construction permits, issuing RFPs for construction crews and resources, and programming the equipment that will be needed after the spring thaw to accommodate physical construction. We are all as anxious as you are to get the physical construction underway, but please be patient as we wait out the weather to reach different areas of the state over the next two years. Below you will find the current open requests, please refer to our new Procurement Web page for a complete listing of all RFPs/RFIs/RFBs to date.
We thank you for your continued interest and support in the EAGLE-Net project. Please drop us a note should you wish to learn more, or visit our new Web site for the most up to date information.
Warm winter wishes to you all,
Dr. Randy Zila
CEO
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Progress Report
EAGLE-Net is continuing to make strides in the design build process of building a network to 234 community anchor institutions across Colorado.
New Staging Warehouse:
A lease was executed for a temporary staging, validation, and configuration facility located in Westminster, CO. This facility is being used to test and program EAGLE-Net equipment.
NTIA Visits:
EAGLE-Net Staff met with NTIA representatives Tony Wilhelm (Director, BTOP) and Laura Dodson (Director, BTOP Infrastructure Projects) on February 8th to provide an overview of the EAGLE-Net project status. Larry Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, also stopped by on February 13th for a quick overview.
Reporting Updates:
The EAGLE-Net ARRA report has also been accepted and is now available on the Recovery.gov website. More detailed information about the BTOP grant and EAGLE-Net's recipient profile can also be accessed on the www.recovery.gov Web site.
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Community Outreach
EAGLE-Net is also continuing to increase community awareness and business development through community outreach.
New Web site!
With the launch of the new EAGLE-Net Alliance Web site, information about the construction schedule and maps will be readily available under the BTOP Progress page. The new community outreach materials can be found on the Market Segments page with links to downloadable versions of the new brochures.
Government Roadshow:
EAGLE-Net is launching a government roadshow to begin in mid-February to present an overview of the EAGLE-Net network project and the BTOP grant. To start, the management team members will be visiting state and federal elected officials and their staffs at their Colorado based offices. The roadshow will also extend to major state agencies and government organisations to extend the messaging reach into the local communities.
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Open Requests
EAGLE-Net continues to work with partners and vendors to complete the BTOP grant project. Requests that were open in November included:
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Stories from the Road
The Business Development team has been out and about the state of Colorado talking to school districts, towns, cities, and local governments. With over 3,000 miles travelled since the beginning of the year, EAGLE-Net employees have visited many communities, including Walden, Telluride, Broomfield, and Salida. Thank you to everyone for the very warm and welcoming receptions into your communities.
Communities are coming together and focusing their conversations around how high-speed Internet and data connections can be leveraged to increase student achievement, economic development, and increase public safety in towns and counties. The EAGLE-Net staff thanks all participants in these meetings for their open dialogue and hospitality.
During visits throughout Colorado, one overriding need has come up in nearly every community; how to offer high-speed Internet at a reasonable rate. Starting in June 2012, EAGLE-Net will be able to address and fulfill this need specifically in many locations throughout the state. As we continue to build out the EAGLE-Net network through the BTOP infrastructure grant project scheduled to be completed by August 31, 2013, the network will further the delivery of efficient carrier quality broadband transport and Internet access to both rural and urban environments.
To speak with an EAGLE-Net representative directly or schedule a presentation, please contact one of the following staff members at 720-210-9500 or by email. We will be happy to share our story, including information about what the BTOP grant can do for your community.
Chip White, Executive V.P. of Business Development
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Interesting Reads
Here are some books of interest:
As our social institutions migrate into cyberspace, the digitallydisenfranchised face increasing hardships. What happens when -- in search of quickand cheap fixes -- a government office shuts down and is replaced by a public Website? What happens when a company accepts only online job applications? Inevitably, those most in need of the services and opportunities offered are furthermarginalized. In Digital Nation, Tony Wilhelm shows us how to build a more inclusiveinformation society, offering a plan that reaps the benefits offered by the newtechnology while avoiding the pitfalls of social exclusion.
To purchase a copy of this book click here
- Tom Vander Ark, Getting Smart...How Digital Learning is Changing the World
In our digital age, students have dramatically new learning needs and must be prepared for the idea economy of the future. In Getting Smart, well-known global education expert Tom Vander Ark examines the facets of educational innovation in the United States and abroad. Vander Ark makes a convincing case for a blend of online and onsite learning, shares inspiring stories of schools and programs that effectively offer "personal digital learning" opportunities, and discusses what we need to do to remake our schools into "smart schools."
To purchase a copy of this book click here.
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