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Camoin Associates and its collaborating partners Tilson, Innovation PolicyWorks, and New Commons are pleased to continue our Economic Developer Navigator series on Broadband and Economic Development. This series is presented to help economic and community developers and regional and local policymakers make informed decisions about expanding the supply and demand of broadband technology and supporting its adoption and use to grow their economies.
In the spirit of connectivity, collaboration, and innovation, we are trying something a little different for the "Broadband Buzz" series. We are using Google+ to house links to all of the content and-hopefully- generate some discussion around this topic. Join the conversation here.
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By: Robert Leaver, New Commons & Jim Damicis, Camoin Associates
We start this issue with Developing an Integrated Digital Economy and Culture by Robert Leaver of New Commons and Jim Damicis of Camoin Associates. In this article, we examine the historical role of the Internet in economic development. We then consider how digital technology is shaping the emerging next economy though four clusters that are driving change in commerce including:
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Knowledge and Science - Automation of knowledge work, next-generation genomics, tele-health, and big data
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Infrastructure - Mobile internet, the Internet of Things, the Cloud, and smart grid
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Making things - Advanced robotics, 3-D printing, additive manufacturing, and advanced materials
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Next nature of work - Tele-working and freelancing
Finally, we explain that regions must build and leverage an ecosystem to leverage these changes to grow their economies. This ecosystem is based on the foundations of digital infrastructure, digital culture, and public policy. To help practitioners we present specific initiatives and actions, which can be adopted to help build this ecosystem.
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By: Catherine Renault, Innovation PolicyWorks
The next article in this issue then transitions to building innovative communities. In Innovation Communities and Broadband: Critical for 21st Century Development, Catherine Renault of Innovation PolicyWorks indicates that innovation and entrepreneurship are becoming more broadly accepted as key drivers of economic growth, and economic developers have come to realize they must help cultivate a culture of innovation and integrate it with entrepreneurship.
Within regions and communities, this requires a culture of diversity and tolerance, and an acceptance of trying and learning. It also requires broadband infrastructure. However, in many areas, it may not be economical for the traditional broadband providers to extend their service. Therefore, economic developers must find ways to work collaboratively within their regions and communities to design new solutions to increase broadband availability and adoption.
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By: Tilson Technology
So where do communities and regions get started? The answer lies within economic development planning. In Elements of a Broadband Plan, our colleagues at Tilson follow up from their previous article and present the six basic elements of the planning process to leverage successful public-private partnerships for expanding broadband. They include:
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Goal Setting - Identifying high-level goals both technical and non-technical
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Service & Asset Inventory - Assessing current network assets in the community
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Needs Assessment - Defining areas where it would like to offer improved broadband
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Gap Analysis - Analyzing the difference between what a community would like to have available and be used within the area and what is actually available and being used
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High-Level Design & Cost Estimate - Conducting high-level design that addresses the region's service gaps and leverages existing assets along with preparing cost estimates needed to fund outcomes
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Business Case/Operating Models - Developing the model of operating that best fits the locality/region
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