New Broadband Initiative Will Bring Education, Economic Opportunities to Iowa, Governor Says
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad unveiled the Connect Every Iowan initiative to bring high-speed broadband access to all of the state’s population. About one third of Iowans don’t subscribe to a broadband service, and less than 20 percent of Iowans subscribe to high-speed broadband service, said the Republican at a news conference Tuesday. Iowa ranks 47th in the nation in terms of access to broadband and 11th of 12 Midwestern states on the TechNet State Broadband Index, said Branstad. With Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), Branstad tasked the STEM Advisory Council’s Broadband Committee with developing legislative recommendations by Dec. 1 for broadband build-out throughout the state (http://bit.ly/13a6EpK).
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The committee will provide recommendations on how to increase the household adoption rate, increase broadband network speeds and expand the Internet-related economic infrastructure, said Branstad. The committee will provide a long-term strategic plan by Jan. 1, 2015, to identify possible public or private partnerships, said Branstad. “We need to have this capital infrastructure available, because we don’t know what this technology is going to be in next decade,” said Branstad. “Interconnectivity is going to be key to economic development, and we want to position us to be as well prepared as possible.” Reynolds said increasing broadband adoption in the state brings new opportunities in economic development, public safety, healthcare and education. “As the economy continues to change, Iowans are interacting differently with each other and they are interacting differently with businesses,” said Reynolds. “Online sales account for nearly $2.9 billion in sales revenue for Iowa businesses, yet about half of Iowa businesses still operate without a website or a Web presence."
More than 120 school districts in Iowa have implemented a “1 to 1” initiative to provide students with digital devices, but 63 school districts indicated they need more broadband bandwidth, said John Carver, committee co-chairman and Howard-Winneshiek Community School District superintendent (http://bit.ly/17pwF23). The average cost for the service ranges from $0 to $4,134 per megabit per month, said Carver. “This is unfair and it creates a condition of have and have nots,” said Carver at the news conference. “The Iowa Department of Education is moving toward online student assessments and this cannot have a meaningful implementation or distribution without broadband.” For the “1 to 1” initiative to be successful, more broadband access is needed in schools, said Reynolds. At home, the initiative can also encourage parents to subscribe to broadband, Amy Kuhlers, Connect Iowa program manager and committee member, told us. “If you have a device for school, parents might subscribe so their children can get the access they need when they are not at school,” she said. “Education is key for adoption, because it needs to be a meaningful service for people to subscribe.” Earlier this summer, the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission rejected offers to buy the Iowa Communications Network, with Branstad getting a recommendation from the commission to also reject the bids. He said Aug. 28 he is rejecting the bids (http://bit.ly/14o6w3D).
The ILECs and CLECs are interested in this process because they want to reach new customers in the region, Iowa Telecommunications Association President Dave Duncan, who is on the committee, told us. “We want to expand access for our 100 telephone providers who provide broadband access,” he said. “Most of the state has some access, but some have little or no interest in broadband.” Carver said the program could extend beyond education to telecommuting. “The Mayo Clinic is projecting to hire 30,000 people in the next five years and many of those could live in Iowa and telecommute to Rochester,” Minn., said Carver. “With broadband, you can have the quality of life of living in rural Iowa and work globally.” (sfriedman@warren-news.com)