SUMMER 2017:
IN THIS ISSUE
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LARIMER BROADBAND UPDATE
FEASIBILITY STUDY
A frequently asked question is: What is Larimer County planning to do to improve broadband?
Larimer Broadband’s exploration of options for broadband in rural areas of the County will begin with a feasibility study of current conditions, evaluation of viable options, and recommendations on how to proceed.
A Request for Proposal closed last March, a consultant has been selected, and contract negotiations are underway. It is anticipated that the selected consultant will be announced and work will begin this summer.
PROJECT PLANNING
Funding for the Larimer Broadband feasibility study is projected to be a combination of County general fund dollars and grant resources, with grantseeking efforts actively underway.
Funding needs for longer-term broadband projects will largely depend on recommendations from the Feasibility Study. Meanwhile, opportunities are being researched and partnerships formed for a range of possibilities, including infrastructure project planning, implementation and use.
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BROADBAND IN COLORADO- In the News
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Broadband continues to be of strong focus in Colorado. Governor Hickenlooper considered a special session to continue work on infrastructure including broadband, however, the session did not occur. Funding for rural broadband expansion is limited at this time, with no steady stream of resources.
Where 99 local governments (including almost half of Colorado counties) have passed exemptions to Senate Bill 05-152, and Larimer County’s own municipalities are moving forward on broadband implementation efforts, there will be opportunities for local and regional collaboration in broadband projects ongoing.
The takeaway? It is an optimal time to be exploring options and positioning Larimer County to be ready for when pending decisions are made about rural broadband expansion and programs to support it. Larimer Broadband continues to monitor news about changes and take steps for our County to navigate opportunities to realize community connectivity goals.
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BROADBAND 101:
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BROADBAND
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Broadband may have become necessary, but it hasn’t become simple to understand. Here are a few commonly-used terms that might help with knowing what the ads, salespeople and news are talking about, as listed by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s BroadbandUSA program:
3G: The term for the 3rd generation wireless telecommunications standards usually with network speeds of less than 1 Mbps.
4G: The term for 4th generation wireless telecommunications standards usually with network speeds greater than 1 Mbps.
5G: The term for emerging 5th generation wireless telecommunications standards usually associated with network speeds of up to 1 Gpbs or more. [Expected mid-2018]
Digital Divide: The gap between those of a populace that have access to the Internet and other communications technologies and those that have limited or no access.
Digital Equity: Recognizes that digital access and skills are now required for full participation in many aspects of society and the economy. Digital Equity links Digital Inclusion to social justice and highlights that a lack of access and/or skills can further isolate individuals and communities from a broad range of opportunities.
Digital Inclusion: Implies that individuals and communities have access to robust broadband connections; Internet-enabled devices that meet their needs; and the skills to explore, create and collaborate in the digital world.
Source: https://www2.ntia.doc.gov/files/bbusa_broadband_glossary_161024.pdf
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UPCOMING LARIMER BROADBAND COUNTY EVENTS
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LEARNING FROM EVERYWHERE:
LARIMER BROADBAND STEERING COMMITTEE
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The Larimer Broadband Steering Committee continues to visit communities and attend learning opportunities to help make the best recommendations to improve broadband in underserved areas of Larimer County. From communities, Larimer Broadband Steering Committee members gain local expertise and insight on what is best for individual areas.
- Digital Southwest- Regional Broadband Summit by Next Century Cities in Mesa, AZ; April 2017
- Broadband Communities Summit in Dallas, TX; May 2017
- Mountain Connect in Keystone CO; May 2017, where Larimer Broadband Program Manager, Drew Davis presented on the Ignite your RFP Community Panel Discussion.
- Mountain Lions Club Memorial Day weekend pancake breakfast in Red Feather Lakes, CO; May 2017
- Big Thompson Canyon Association Pancake Breakfast; June 2017
- Colorado Counties where Drew Davis presented on the Broadband: The Ongoing Quest for Rural Expansion panel; June 2017.
- Glacier View Meadows Wildfire Preparedness Day; June 2017
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Source: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/1060211
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MOUNTAIN RESILIENCY PLAN AND BROADBAND:
INTERVIEW WITH MATT LAFFERTY, PRINCIPAL PLANNER;
LARIMER COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
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Q. What is the Mountain Resiliency Plan?
A. The Mountain Resiliency Plan is a visionary document that will ultimately be used to make land use decisions for the future of Larimer County. It is intended to represent communities’ visions of their unique future within Larimer County, to be combined with the larger community Comprehensive Plan. From a land use perspective, it is the guiding document for decision-making in Larimer County; one of the tools by which we shape our future. Because land use is interrelated with other important parts of our communities and citizens’ lives, other topics addressed by the Plan are infrastructure, natural resources, public safety, economy, natural hazards, transportation, and more.
Q. How is broadband involved in the Mountain Resiliency Plan?
A. Broadband is an infrastructure component, interrelated to land use and other community building blocks that affect citizens’/communities’ daily lives, opportunities, well-being and futures. As roads have been important to the economy, driving it in prior decades; broadband is the new “road” to the emerging and future economy, vital to our communities’ infrastructure needs. The Mountain Resiliency Plan acknowledges that areas lacking standard broadband are most impacted by natural hazards, economic downturns, disasters & disruptions, and addresses this as an important part of resilient development, along with land use and other built and natural environment components.
Q. How can improving broadband lead to greater resiliency?
A. Broadband connects communities and increases opportunities, which increases resiliency. Smaller community visions in specific areas in the mountains are an important part of the Mountain Resiliency Plan. The Plan may serve as a tool for communities to create sub-area plans, allowing them to be developed in their own unique way, with autonomy and self-sufficiency, which are significant parts of resiliency. In the mountainous areas, broadband provides greater safety measures, through improved communications. Some mountainous areas do not want growth, but they want/need the benefits that broadband brings; and this had led the County to examine how broadband is provided in these small communities, while supporting development in the way they believe is best. By creating new opportunities for economic growth in segments of the mountainous areas, decreasing isolation from neighboring areas, communities are better prepared for any event or disruption they might face.
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Q. Why is building resiliency important to everyone, even those who have not been personally affected by any disasters or disruptions? How is broadband part of that?
A. While a disaster is occurring, even for those not directly affected by it, a reliable broadband connection allows information (about the situation, risk, and others’ safety) to be communicated. If a disaster is prolonged, and the whole information system is being over-tapped, it becomes a disruption in personal & business life. The better the broadband, the better information can be exchanged about resources, so they can be used in the best way possible to provide service and support, both during and following a disaster/disruption.
Q. How might broadband, as part of the Mountain Resiliency Plan affect citizens? Businesses? Communities?
A. The Mountain Resiliency Plan is intended to be strategic in the development of individual communities and Larimer County as a whole. As an element of the Mountain Resiliency Plan, broadband address multiple community and individual needs. The Plan is about being strategic in community development, not just supporting nonstrategic growth that changes the character of the community. As a contributor to economic health, broadband can create options, such as library hot-spots and business hubs, that can serve downtown areas. Broadband supports amenities that support existing communities long-term and act as draws to visitors.
Q. How does broadband, as part of building resiliency, matter to people living both inside and outside of Larimer County’s cities and towns?
A. Mountainous areas, cities and towns in Larimer County are interdependent and complimentary. Combined with land use and other vital components of development, improving parts of the County will build overall community/area strength. Broadband increases communities’ vitality and health, making them more marketable and attracts employers to the region; both in mountain communities and neighboring municipalities, where areas compliment one another in service, amenities, and signature area attributes. People don’t come here just to do business or for major industry; they come for the natural resources, recreation, and amenities. Marketability opens up greater diversity of options for living, working, operating businesses and employing others in the mountains. It also attracts visitors, who contribute to healthy economies. In times of economic downturn, communities can still survive because of more diverse community and economic development. Amenities that make trips to the mountains stress-free and safe are part of what makes people want to visit; and this is what good broadband coverage creates.
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Q. Can building resiliency, including improving broadband, be achieved without costing taxpayers money? Please explain.
A. Yes. As with any type of a plan, infrastructure needs, broadband improvements can be accomplished in two ways:
- Over a long duration of time by the market.
- Via impact fees and improvement districts aimed at improving services, if communities agree broadband is of benefit and a high priority.
Q. How can citizens be involved in the Mountain Resiliency Plan development process? How can citizens find informational material and receive updates on the Plan?
A. Community members are encouraged to attend public meetings and hearings and review printed materials where distributed. Citizens can complete surveys, providing comments to the County & the Plan consultant, Logan Simpson. Information and updates about the Plan are posted to: https://larimercompplan.com and a survey can be completed online: https://larimercompplan.com/resiliency-survey
There will be more opportunities as the planning process moves forward: It is currently in the visioning stage. Once visioning is complete, the County will report out what has been discovered and have meetings to get community input as to whether we’re on the right path.
Q. What else should News From Somewhere readers know about the Mountain Resiliency Plan itself; and as it relates to their interests in broadband development?
A. This is Phase I of a larger plan that will cover the entire county: Phase I covers only the mountainous areas because they have a different vision, different concerns with regard to resiliency. Outcomes from Phase I will be reconciled in the larger Comprehensive Plan; the overall goal. The Mountain Resilience and Comprehensive Plans have common threads, such as infrastructure/broadband, which will be linked at the end of Phase II.
Larimer County can’t create one vision of the whole county that is exactly the same for the mountainous areas and plains. Issues and visions need to be identified separately and then integrated under one document, which will provide overall direction for the County. Each area is unique; objectives are different in different areas. The vision from north to south, between mountains and plains about land use is so significantly different. These and other differences can be addressed by sub-area plans.
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STORIES FROM SOMEWHERE:
EVERYWHERE IS SOMEWHERE TO BE HEARD. THANK YOU READERS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR STORIES: HERE ARE TWO FROM OUR COMMUNITIES . . .
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From Ronald Ames
Livermore, Colorado
My wife, father-in-law and I live in Glacier View Filing 12, where the High Park Fire burned in 2012. After the fire, we had no phone, internet or cell service. Most of our neighbors (we were fortunate) that lost homes had to drive down the mountain to talk to insurance, builders, banks, etc. after the fire to rebuild their lives. Centurylink, our provider, refused to send anyone up to restore service and were told it could be months before service was restored. We fortunately had one ambitious lineman who pulled our ticket and we had phone service within an hour. All he had to do was cut off one melted terminator at the end of our road. That restored both phone and internet. If not for him, we might still not have internet or phone service.
As you are well aware, internet service is a big factor for communities. In today’s world where 1 Gbps service is common, our service is rated at 1.33 mbps. And, if we actually got that it would be amazing. Today, it is about .08 mbps. Calls to Centurylink go unresolved. So, our Somewhere is subjected to a sole provider that has no interest in either improving or even maintaining the status quo. And, any new construction is told they will not get service because the lines are maxed out. So, our community voted overwhelmingly to approve the ballot initiative this past year for County involvement in Broadband. For us, it’s more like Narrowband today, or if you’re building it’s SlimtoNoneband. So, our Somewhere is very hopeful that our County can help improve our current service, if not perhaps give us some better choices. Most of us require on that one provider for phone, internet and cellular hotspots (hotspot tied to Broadband router broadcasting within our homes) for communication with the outside world - especially during emergencies.
From Leith Johnson
Location: 1/2 mile west of CO392 and I25; the mile wide strip between Fort Collins and Loveland
Our provider is TDS. For a while there the service was quite poor. Lots of hangs, general slowness. For reasons unknown, TDS fixed something and now the service is quite acceptable. Not as interested in finding a better service than I was when I indicated interest. But still would like for our area to be a candidate for very high speed internet.
Continue to send your stories from EVERYWHERE.
Source: http://www.cleancutmedia.com/art-design/life-before-and-after-mobile-phones-illustration
We are also interested in reading your perspective on the following question:
For better or worse, what is the most significant change cell phones have made in your world?
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GET IN TOUCH!
LARIMER BROADBAND WELCOMES YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK:
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PROGRAM CONTACT:
Drew Davis
Broadband Program Manager
ddavis@larimer.org
970-231-6965
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NEWS FROM SOMEWHERE CONTACT:
Pam Marcus-Bause
pmarcus-bause@larimer.org
970-498-7722
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