In our last newsletter, we provided a brief overview of one of the initiatives Cascadeo was working on in conjunction with the Tulalip Tribes to apply for RBBS stimulus funds.  This project has gained significant support from government officials, community members, and business on both a local and state level.  We've received an overwhelming number of letters of recommendation, and the Puget Sound Business Journal recently published a front page story highlighting this initiative.  The hi-tech news website, TechFlash, also picked up the story as well.  To expand on the information provided in our last newsletter, we've included some additional insight into this project.   

The Seattle Internet eXchange is one of the largest free IPv4 / IPv6 exchange points in the world.  The SIX allows businesses, service providers, public institutions, etc., to peer directly with content providers such as Microsoft, Google, Akamai, Youtube, and others, bypassing paid transit providers entirely.  By extending the SIX north of Seattle, and creating the Northwest Internet Exchange  we've helped local telcos, data centers, government institutions, Native-American communities, etc., significantly lower their transit costs (up to 70% in some cases), and more importantly have brought gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps and beyond) Internet access to rural communities in this area.  

While the Northwest Internet Exchange (IX-NWWA) has been a large success for all local organizations and community members, it laid the foundation for one of our joint grant applications, dubbed the Washington Rural Broadband Cooperative.  This project is designed to significantly increase the accessibility to low cost broadband throughout the entire state of Washington, and is supported by nearly a dozen government agencies.  

The WA-RBC is a unique and sustainable partnership between Tribal communities, middle mile public and private fiber carriers, backbone/long-haul broadband operators, and local agencies that have made significant investment in fiber optic infrastructure, data centers, and Internet exchanges.  The core of the proposal is to provide transparent, low-cost, high-bandwidth access to both underserved and unserved communities who have struggled historically with significant geographic and economic barriers to broadband access.  By creating a non-profit co-op in the time-honored tradition of rural telecom, the WA-RBC is guaranteed to be transparent, neutral, and will serve the interests of those who voluntarily participate.  This project will not only significantly increase broadband options to these rural areas, but lower transit costs, provide viable competition to high-cost ILECs, and also link community members.  We've focused on:

1) Project completion in less than 18 months
2) Creation of jobs throughout  the local area
3) Driving economic development to these rural communities  

One study, performed by Michigan State University, found that RUS funded improvements to broadband access in rural parts of Michigan, Texas, and Kentucky illustrate how the majority of unserved and underservered residents quickly sign up for high-speed Internet service, matching the uptake rates in large metropolitan cities.  In these areas, investment in broadband technology was coupled with programs aimed at educating local residents on the benefits of Internet access.  The result was that broadband users were statistically more likely to start businesses, attend online classes, and less likely to relocate.

Cascadeo provided the architectural guidance, grant writing assistance, and strategic initiatives to help the WA-RBC apply for first round funding.  If you would like more information on this project, or other projects Cascadeo is currently working on, feel free to drop us a line.