Broadband networks are the first enabling technology since electricity to fundamentally impact society to such a great extent that it is now viewed in economic development circles as “critical infrastructure”. Access to broadband provides communities with the foundation necessary for economic growth and a sustainable quality of life. At present, too many communities – both urban and rural – are not afforded access to affordable, reliable broadband telecommunications, and hence deprived of their ability to participate in enhanced social, education, occupation, healthcare, and economic development opportunities. It is critical that all Virginia communities have equal and affordable access to broadband telecommunications.
CIT is the only resource in the Commonwealth that offers a “holistic” supply and demand approach to solving the broadband equation. The current mission of CIT’s Broadband program is to “accelerate the socio-economic growth of Virginia’s rural and underserved areas through the application and use of broadband telecommunications.” This bold mission statement emphasizes the idea that the true value of broadband communications infrastructure is derived from the applications that traverse its capacity, not the mere existence of the infrastructure.
Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance (OTPBA)
In September 2006, Governor Kaine signed Executive Order Thirty-Five, establishing the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance (OTPBA), which now resides within the Office of the Secretary of Technology. The OTPBA works to encourage public and private sector efforts in the deployment of telework policy and strives to eliminate the barriers that are preventing broadband from becoming accessible and affordable throughout the Commonwealth.
For more information on telework and broadband in Virginia, please visit www.wired.virginia.gov.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) appropriated $7.2 billion for the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband access and adoption in communities across the U.S., which will increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits.
CIT is Virginia’s designated entity for ARRA mapping and planning activities. As such, CIT was awarded $8.1 million for the mapping of broadband availability and various implementation initiatives which are outlined below.
Mapping
CIT, with the assistance of Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) and Virginia Tech, is collecting currently existing broadband data in order to map the availability of broadband across the Commonwealth.
Check out the Virginia Broadband Availability Map at http://www.wired.virginia.gov/broadband_map.shtml.
Health IT Assessment
CIT is conducting an annual assessment of broadband availability and usage at healthcare facilities across the Commonwealth in order to develop a better understanding of current connectivity across the healthcare provider universe, and to create a link between broadband connection and Health IT implementation.
Check out the 2010 results at http://www.wired.virginia.gov/broadband_health_it.shtml.
e-Commerce Assessment
CIT is conducting an annual assessment of how businesses, organizations, and individuals use and benefit from broadband. The e-commerce assessment also assesses the impact of Virginia broadband investments, identify gaps in broadband access and use, and the availability of necessary broadband capacity, services, and economic growth.
Virginia Infrastructure Awards
For a list of ARRA-awarded providers, please visit http://www.wired.virginia.gov/broadband_virginia_awards.shtml.
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