Scott
As I understand it the 1000 anchor institutions across the state (that counts
all the grants, not just the ICN administered on that is the big part of the
center of the state) will be connected to the projects fiber. Speeds are
limited only by the electronics on each end. Initially, I believe we are
looking at primary 10 Gig. Links although some anchor institutions may use the
wavelength multiplexing (hope I got that right off the top of my head)
technologies that allow separate circuits on the same fiber using separate
wavelengths of light to put up their own 20 Gig circuits between different
locations.
The anchor institutions have been spread thuout the state where the fiber runs go and there will be interconnects available into the fiber at almost all major intersections (once again based on my memory). Of course the fiber is not a mesh that reaches every corner of the state but as I understand it anchor institutions in return for the fiber connection are expected to reach out and connect others in their areas or at least allow those connections to occur into the fiber reaching their premises.
I'm guessing this will be a good opportunity for collaborations between
institutions in a community (school, library, town, police, health clinic,
Internet provider) to put up a wireless link to the nearest community college
or hospital or large town that is connected.
Remember, this only allows us almost unlimited bandwidth for transit around the
state. Traffic that has to enter the commercial Internet still costs someone $$ and
will have to be metered very closely. But, it means that the more of those type of
things we can put on the cloud (united & discovery streaming media servers for
example) and the more ICN or the Illini Cloud can Cache for us (Microsoft updates?)
the less of our traffic will need to leave the state.
Finally, ICN will be holding their normal yearly regional meetings and further
explanation and question answering will be the main item on the agenda, I think.
I suspect as well they'll be doing some education specific presentations at
various educational conferences (possibly in tandem with Illini Cloud?) to
discuss these issues.
Sorry, it doesn't answer the last part of your question. As someone who lives
part time in an island 20 miles from the Michigan coast I have a lot of empathy
from people who may live a similar distance outside the nearest large town.
This grant will get a lot more bandwidth closer to those people and for some of
them it'll now make it profitable for an Internet wireless access provider to
set up shop in their area or it may mean their small town can now set up a 15
mile wireless interconnect instead of looking at the 75 mile one that was
needed before.
It's a great 1st step, the journey is not over.
Jim
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On Aug 21, 2010, at 9:37 AM, "Williams, Scott" <sco...@fisher.k12.il.us> wrote:
Can anyone tell me what "ultra high-speed access" is actually in Mbps?
ANd, can anyone tell me how this will NARROW the gap between rural , and I mean
rural, not small towns that already have cable, and the town that now will
receive ultra high-speed access?
SCott
________________________________________
From: tech-geeks-boun...@tech-geeks.org [tech-geeks-boun...@tech-geeks.org] On
Behalf Of Jim Flanagan [jhflana...@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 4:44 PM
To: Tech Geeks List
Subject: [tech-geeks] Fwd: Governor Quinn Announces More Than $106 Million
in Federal Awards for Broadband Infrastructure
FYI
Beyond the politics is a little more info.
Jim
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Begin forwarded message:
From: "Croke, Ryan" <ryan.cr...@illinois.gov<mailto:ryan.cr...@illinois.gov>>
Date: August 20, 2010 4:20:54 PM CDT
To: "Sorenson, Lori"
<lori.soren...@illinois.gov<mailto:lori.soren...@illinois.gov>>
Subject: Governor Quinn Announces More Than $106 Million in Federal Awards for
Broadband Infrastructure
<image001.png>Office of Governor Pat Quinn NEWS
Governor Quinn Announces More Than $106 Million in Federal Awards for Broadband
Infrastructure
Four Public-Private Technology Projects will Create 600 Jobs
SPRINGFIELD – August 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn announced more than $106
million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to
improve broadband access across Illinois. Approximately $38 million in Illinois
Jobs Now! capital funding and $23 million in matching funds from local partners
helped secure the federal awards.
“Building information infrastructure brings jobs and high-speed Internet access
to underserved areas,” said Governor Quinn. “This significant federal funding
is a major win for Illinois and will support economic development across our
state.”
The four projects will create approximately 600 direct jobs, invest more than
$160 million into the Illinois economy, and directly connect more than 1,000
institutions – including schools, hospitals, libraries, police and fire
stations – to ultra high-speed information and communication networks.
The nearly $62 million grant to the East Central Region of the Illinois
Broadband Opportunity Partnership (IBOP) will expand and improve the Illinois
Century Network to provide ultra high-speed access in 55 counties. It will also
create more than 160 jobs and connect about 400 community institutions.
Through the IBOP-Southern Region project, Harrisburg-based Clearwave
Communications will use a $31.5 million grant to connect 232 community
institutions and create approximately 150 jobs.
The Danville-based Cellular Properties, Inc. project is using a $12 million
grant/loan award to expand 3G wireless broadband service in 11 rural counties.
The effort is estimated to create 267 jobs, and serve more than 7,000
businesses and 700 community institutions.
Grant and loan awards totaling more than $783,000 to Utopian Wireless
Corporation will build WiMAX infrastructure in communities in rural McDonough
and Clay Counties. This project will help more than 350 businesses and 100
community institutions.
"Too many Illinoisans don't have adequate, affordable access to broadband Internet - an
essential economic tool," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. "This Recovery Act funding will
make a significant investment in the effort to close that digital divide by increasing availability
while creating good paying jobs in Illinois."
All of the federal funding was awarded competitively through the U.S.
Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities
Service.
A longtime advocate of broadband-based opportunities in Illinois, Governor
Quinn made sure funding for technology projects was included in the Illinois
Jobs Now! public works plan. These four awards bring Illinois’ total ARRA
broadband award total to more than $183 million and represents more than $267
million in new technology infrastructure investment statewide.
For more information, visit
Broadband.Illinois.gov<http://Broadband.Illinois.gov>.
###
<08.19.10_Broadband ARRA.pdf>
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