Volume 7, Issue 12
August 11, 2015
  Broadband Flash Bulletin
In This Issue:

Broadband Resources


resourcecenterNYS Broadband Deployment Support and Resource Center Helps Facilitate Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
 
The NYS Broadband Deployment Support and Resource Center, launched at the 3rd Annual Summit was designed to help facilitate broadband infrastructure deployment in New York State. Both of these systems, contained in one easy-to-use website, are pivotal in helping to ensure broadband deployment in New York State is efficient and effective.

The Broadband Deployment Support Center is a case management system for submitting, tracking, and supporting issues related to broadband deployment in New York State.  Users can submit issues, which could cause delay or impact broadband infrastructure projects, in this central, convenient website, which will then be routed to the NYS Broadband Program Office and other relevant stakeholders. Through the Deployment Support Center users can also track inquiries, updates, and resolution; and easily view the status of submissions.  

The Broadband Deployment Resource Center is a central repository designed to ease the burden on broadband providers, municipalities, counties, and other leaders involved  in expanding broadband access by enabling users to easily find documentation related to broadband expansion more quickly and efficiently. Users can easily search in the Resource Center to locate important and relevant broadband information they need, when they need it.  The Resource Center is a "living" website that will be expanded and enhanced as new and revised resources are added.  In addition to online viewing, the resources can be downloaded and printed by users to make it easy to review. 

Click here to access the Support and Resource Center.
In some North Country counties, seniors make up more than a quarter of the total population, yet they are far less connected than their peers around the nation. In fact, in the U.S.only one in three seniors are online.  However, thanks to a new multi-partner initiative, and Governor Cuomo's Connect NY Broadband Grant program, more North Country seniors will be getting connected.

To address this technology gap, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) in partnership with New York State, the Macquarie Group Foundation, and the CEA foundation has launched a program that will provide free access to tablets and other technology, and in-person training to residents 60 years or older.

Older Adults Technology Services (OATS),
is a non-profit that seeks to "change the way
we  age" by engaging older adults with free   access to digital technology and training.    
Over the course of the last decade in New York City, OATS has taught tens of thousands of older adults digital skills that open up pathways to social connection, better health management, economic opportunity, and lifelong learning. Building on the success of this work, OATS aims to bring the benefits of digital inclusion to seniors in the North Country. The new program will encompass a range of initiatives, including:
 
  • A new Senior Planet Exploration Center, to be located in
    the Champlain Centre shopping mall in Plattsburgh (Clinton County, New York), and a technology training lab in each of
    the six other North Country counties, as well as vehicular mobile labs to deliver training to communities scattered throughout the region. Free or subsidized devices will also be distributed to seniors to take home. This work is enabled by an $812,000 "Connect NY" grant from the New York State Broadband Program Office, as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's Statewide Broadband Initiative.
  • The development of "Senior Planet U," a remote learning platform that allows seniors to connect to technology learning resources from home. The development of this innovative platform was made possible with a $450,000 grant from the Macquarie Group Foundation.
  • Hands-on training courses for seniors at technology labs across the region, supported by a $90,000 grant from the CEA Foundation.
"New York State is pleased to provide Older Adults Technology Services a Connect NY broadband grant designed to increase broadband use in the North Country Region. With lack of knowledge cited as one of the top three reasons people do not use the Internet at home, this program will help bring new broadband users online," said David Salway, Executive Director of the New York State Broadband Program Office.

The program is slated to kick off in Summer 2015.

To learn more about OATS visit www.oats.org.
 

On July 30, the USDA announced the availability of loans to build broadband in rural areas, along with changes to the program required by the 2014 Farm Bill. The USDA is establishing two funding cycles to review and prioritize applications for the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee program.
 
Although the minimum level of acceptable broadband service, through the program, is set at 4 megabits download and 1 megabit upload, the USDA is urging applicants to design networks that allow for 25 megabits downstream and 3 megabits upstream to meet future needs.

"USDA is committed to providing broadband to rural areas," Vilsack said. "Broadband is as vital as electricity was 80 years ago. Since 2009, USDA investments have delivered broadband service to 1.5 million households, businesses, schools, libraries and community facilities. But our work is not done. With program improvements and available funding made possible by the Farm Bill, we can continue our work to make broadband more accessible to those who live and work in rural areas."

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must serve an area where at least 15 percent of the households are unserved. Applications with the most unserved households will be processed first.
  The maximum loan amount under today's announcement is $20 million. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2015.

For more information see the rule published on page 45397 of the July 30 Federal Register.

wi-fi symbol
 

More than 7,500 households in the Queensbridge Campus in Long Island City will receive free high-speed Internet under a 10 million pilot project. 

 

The Queensbridge campus is one of first housing developing in the New York City region to get the wireless broadband access as part of President Obama's ConnectHome initative that brings together service providers, non-profits, and the private sector.  The service will have speeds of at least 25 Mbps download, which align with the minimum speed thresholds set as part of Governor Cuomo's New NY Broadband Program.

 

Residents will also receive technical training, digital literacy

programs and devices as part of a U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development project. New York City is one of 27 cities which won HUD's competition to participate in ConnectHome.


Data from the Center for Economic Opportunity found that 22 percent of New York City households do not use Internet service at home and that 36 percent of city households below the poverty line do not have Internet access at home. 


"No child should worry about whether or not she can finish her homework because her family can't afford broadband at home," said Maya Wiley, counsel to the mayor. "Every parent should be able to
go online to see if their child has completed that homework, no matter the size of their paycheck. Getting high-speed Internet access to low-income New Yorkers is a game changer for families and for the city that needs all our residents to be able to use 21st century technologies to improve their lives and to build their communities."

 

The New York State Broadband Program Office serves as the single point of contact for New York State broadband development and deployment efforts. The Broadband Flash Bulletin is intended to keep you up-to-date on local, state and federal broadband initiatives. I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the NYS Broadband Flash Bulletin.
 
Sincerely,
The NYS Broadband Program Office