Region 2000 Broadband Study
At the request of the Region 2000 Economic Development Partnership, the Region 2000 Technology Council undertook this study of the Broadband Internet infrastructure in the Region 2000 area.
The study was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the Internet infrastructure in the region as well as the demand side of Internet usage in business, industry and government. The study did not specifically address residential use or deployment of Broadband Internet capability; however, the coverage information applies to residential use as well. The mapping gives a quite complete description of the availability of Internet services regardless of use by businesses or households.
Virginia's Region 2000 Partnership is a regional collaborative effort comprising of six essential components: Local Government Council, Economic Development Council, Technology Council, Workforce Investment Board, Young Professionals of Central Virginia, and The Center for Advanced Engineering and Research. The overall goal of this organization is to promote the region to national and international companies to create job growth and economic advancement within the region.
Study Recommendations
- Promote the awareness of broadband connectivity in the area. This can be done by promoting broadband connectivity on the Region 2000 and R2KTC websites and having R2KTC members speak to the topic at Chamber of Commerce meetings and other business gatherings in the region. Many companies apparently still spend hours waiting for documents and e-mail to download over the phone line. This effort should also benefit the IT service companies in the region that can help small businesses set up their systems for high speed internet. The Regional Commission or other regional authority should undertake a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) to raise the level of broadband awareness in the region. For example, a PSA could show local businesses how they can improve their operations, and in some cases lower communication and labor costs, by using broadband Internet services.
- Promote an effort to get Region 2000 more involved with the projects such as the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative that are working to bring the next level of internet connectivity to the region. Actively engage the political representation in the area to help make this happen.
- Initiate an effort to provide adequate and equal Internet access to all schools and libraries within Region 2000. We should look at a way to provide high speed (10MB or better) connections to all schools and libraries in the region.
- Investigate ways to aggregate demand in the region and provide bandwidth at a cost that can make it commercially viable to offer high bandwidth connection to small and medium size businesses in underserved areas. This could be done in partnership with regional carriers capable of supplying Tier 1 connectivity and then selling the bandwidth to providers in rural areas at a reduced rate so that they can make a business case to provide service in the rural areas. It appears that wireless or Internet over power line will be the best choice to reach rural areas of Region 2000.
- Put in place an effort to maintain a GIS database of regional Internet connectivity and get regular updates from area providers on expansions of existing service or new service that is offered. Collection of this information could be mandated if necessary as well as paid for by changes to the permit or franchise regulations.
- Information on the regions right-of-ways should be collected as well to facilitate the introduction of new providers to the area.
Study Reports