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Live blogging from the Redwood Coast Connect Peer Review PDF Print E-mail
Written by Michelle Shelton   
Saturday, 08 November 2008 11:54

I am in San Francisco today, at the Hearst Bldg. for the peer review of the Redwood Coast Connect project. Sharon Crost is with me. We are sitting at a table with Sunne Wright McPeak and Jim Kirkland of CETF (along with the other CETF staffers), my fellow PM's Brent Smith of SEDCorp, Steve Karp of Humboldt U, Dan Ripke of CSU Chico, Peter Pennekamp and Kathy Moxon of Humboldt Area Foundation, the Lake County Contingent, and the panelists reviewing the project:

Gary George of IP Networks

Joe Camicia of the Chief Info Officer for the State

Jack Leutza from the CPUC,

Barb Johnson from the Medical Board of CA

Tad Reynales from CALIT2

and Ernie Wood from Connected Nation

We are going through the RCC presentation right now. I will update more at the break

 

Update: Tuloumne County has an Open Range project scheduled for Phoenix Lake (a 4G project) and Amador Countyfor Ione City. See http://www.openrangecomm.com/index.html for more info. The funding is from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Utilities Program (RDUP).

Update:

CPUC taking public comment for how to include WISPs in the CASF grant effort. CPUC also adding Community Service Districts to eligibility to apply for CASF grant effort.

Update: I have an electronic copy for the RCC final report that I will upload to documents on Monday.

update: Rich Hintz of CENIC is now speaking about CENIC broadband and the challenges involved.

Working lunch: gorgeous sandwiches on foccacia bread with salad. Pumpkin cheesecake was served for Susan Walters birthday, which is today. Makes me feel sorry for the presenting team: eat lunch and answer questions. It is working out gracefully anyway ;)

 Update: December 4 is the CPUC public meeting to announce more of the regional CASF applications.

 Update: there is a LOT of CASF money left even if all the regional projects are funded; more companies are being encouraged to apply especially WISPS when they become eligible.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 09 November 2008 19:26 )
 
Project Update 10-15-08 PDF Print E-mail
Written by MShelton   
Wednesday, 15 October 2008 13:22
Things are moving forward rapidly! On the infrastructure front: the GIS Contractor and the Data Manager are busily setting up the data and map servers and collecting information to get the base maps complete. Robert (the Data Manager) will be contacting the Infrastructure Group this week to set up a meeting to go over the information collected so far. On the demand survey front: the telephone survey portion of the project is almost ready! The launch will be in Amador County with the other 4 counties to follow. The self select survey is online and a big push to get people to take it will be starting soon. I will be contacting the groups to give out the paper survey starting next week. On the outreach front: we have started a project with a Zero Divide Fellow to "train the trainer" for computer literacy classes that will soon be available over the 5 county region. The classes will be basic for beginners and free! Thanks to the California Consumer Protection Foundation we are in the process of hiring a person to work in Amador, Calaveras and Alpine counties to represent the project and beef up InfoNet and the Neighborhood Information Centers. We hope to have contracts with organizations in Mariposa and Alpine to open new NICS as well.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 October 2008 13:32 )
 
Central Sierra Connect Demand Survey PDF Print E-mail
Written by MShelton   
Friday, 26 September 2008 12:25

Please click here to take the high speed internet demand survey.

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks to those that have taken the survey. Your feedback is valuable and needed. Please take time to tell us what you think of the survey.
Last Updated ( Friday, 26 September 2008 12:31 )
 
O3b Links With Google for Fast Satellite Internet Capacity PDF Print E-mail
Written by MShelton   
Wednesday, 10 September 2008 05:53

From the New York Times

Excerpt:

Satellite company O3b Networks has linked up with Google and other investors to bring cheaper, high-speed wireless Internet access to areas unlikely to see investments in fiber infrastructure.

O3b stands for "other 3 billion," a reference to the world's population that still can't access the Internet. O3b, which is based in the U.K.'s Channel Islands, said construction is under way on 16 satellites that will drop the cost for ISPs and operators to provide Internet access over 3G (third-generation) and WiMax networks.

Those satellites will provide backhaul capacity, also known as "trunking," for ISPs (Internet service providers) and operators, essentially moving large amounts of data wirelessly between points where fiber-optic cable has not been dug into the ground, said Greg Wyler, O3b's founder and CEO.

<cut>

O3b's service should be activated by late 2010 and provide speeds of up to 10G bps (bits per second) to other areas including Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. O3b plans to launch 16 MEO satellites, which can send data anywhere between a 45-degree angle north to a 45-degree angle south of their orbits. The lifespan of a MEO is about 10 years to 15 years.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 September 2008 05:56 )
 
In kind tracking instructions PDF Print E-mail
Written by MShelton   
Saturday, 06 September 2008 07:15
Please record the value of your in-kind time for this project.  Remember, all interaction with the project counts: meetings, travel time, phone calls, online time, emails, time talking about the project to others, etc.  Please calculate the value as an hourly amount based on what you pledged to the project; please remember to record it in 15 minute increments to make it easier to total. The first sheet due (as soon as possible) is for the Nov.07 through June 30, 08 period.  The next sheet due is for the July 1-Sept. 30 period.  I need that by October 4th.  You can fax them (533-1034), scan and email or mail them. Please remember to sign them.

The following is a list of all meetings (if I missed one, please let me know and I will update the list.)
10-03-07 planning meeting
11-08-07 Tuolumne meeting
11-09-08 Amadaor meeting
11-14-07 Calaveras meeting
11-19-07 Mariposa meeting
11/28/08 Multi County Meeting in Tuolumne

Infrastructure:
1-29-08 Tuolumne
Wasn't there one other?

BOS meetings:
2-5-08 Tuolumne County BOS to pass resolution
2-12-08 Mariposa County BOS  "  "
2-19-08 Alpine County BOS "   "
2-25-08 Calaveras BOS "" ""
2-25-08 Amador BOS (same day, I went from one to the next)

4-30-08 Tuolumne County Community Forum
5-8-08 and 5-8-08 Redding Rural Connections workshop
6.12.08 AC meeting Calaveras

7-12-08 Demand/Outreach survey meeting in Tuolumne
9-5-08 AC meeting Mariposa
 
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