Presenters
Ben Fineman, President & Co-Founder, Michigan Broadband Cooperative
Pierette Widmeyer, Director of Marketing & Communications, Merit Network
The Michigan Moonshot team has collaborated with national subject matter experts to write and build a community network broadband toolkit and framework. This step-by-step guide provides local champions with a playbook for understanding and deploying a regional network. Our speakers will provide an overview of the contents of this free resource in addition to outlining tangible next steps in your connectivity journey.
Presenters
Charlotte Bewersdorff, Vice President for Community Engagement, Merit Network
Dr. Johannes Bauer, Quello, Chair for Media and Information Policy, Michigan State University
5 million households with school-aged children in the US lack access to broadband, creating the “homework gap,” which is likely to reinforce socio-economic divides that limit opportunities for households on the margins. Access to and use of the internet has become an integral component of everyday life in the 21st century. It is imperative for communities to leverage broadband network access for education, telemedicine, public safety and workforce development to maintain the quality of life. This presentation will explore the Michigan Moonshot’s approach to crowdsourced broadband availability data. We will also discuss preliminary results from our pilot data collection efforts and the ways in which communities might leverage data collection to better inform their broadband plans.
Presenter
Joanne Hovis, President, CTC Technology & Energy
Investigating the feasibility of broadband requires a financial model. Components of a financial model, such as the inputs and outputs and the ways in which modeling might be used as a tool for business planning will be explored. Various financial models examples will be provided as real-world examples. Pitfalls and best practice guidelines will also be shared.
Presenter
Kevin Hayes, Chief Information Security Officer, Merit Network
As a broadband network operator, you are a special and valuable target for attackers the world over.
Presenter
Chris Ritzo, Program Management & Community Lead, Measurement Lab at Code for Science and Society
Broadband Internet service has become essential for most aspects of modern life, yet we know that the availability and quality of Internet service varies widely by location and price. Accurate data on broadband availability from federal government agencies is supposed to inform our understanding of where federal dollars should be invested to improve service quality and availability equitably across the nation. While this data has flaws and inaccuracies, the FCC is ostensibly working to improve the accuracy of provider data, and other government agencies like NTIA are also working on data and visualizations. While we wait for improvements in official government data, community and industry led initiatives are seeking to collect their own broadband availability, quality of service, speed, and pricing.
This webinar will share information about the publicly available datasets and tools from Measurement Lab (M-Lab), and how they have been used for planning, decision making, and advocacy. M-Lab is an open source, civil society led, global platform for measuring broadband Internet service. In addition to supporting a portion of the FCC’s Measuring Broadband America program since its beginnings, M-Lab’s open source tools and data have been used in similar initiatives on local and regional levels, enabling communities to gather data about broadband in their communities, including the Michigan Moonshot initiative.
Presenter:
Jonathan Sallet, Senior Fellow of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
Drawing on the research compiled in “Broadband for America’s Future: A Vision for the 2020s,” author of the report Jonathan Sallet, Senior Fellow of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, will discuss economic-growth strategies adopted by local and state governments that rely on the use of broadband, how broadband advances individual economic opportunity and economic-growth in communities, and the importance of broadband for economic outcomes in rural, urban, and suburban places, including diverse demographic groups.
EVENT DATE:
APRIL 9, 2020
12:00 – 1:00 P.M.
The Broadband Communities Summit is the leading event for community leaders, multifamily property owners and network builders and deployers interested in the building, managing, marketing and monetizing of high-speed broadband technologies and services.
It is focused on the successful delivery of high-speed broadband networks to communities – from multifamily properties to ultra-connected master-planned developments to the city or town where you live. The Summit’s extraordinary program offers cutting-edge presentations by outstanding speakers with a finger on the pulse of what’s new and what’s coming, what works and what doesn’t. From the first day of the Summit to the last, our goal is to send you home with information you can put to immediate use.
Presenter
Chris Mitchell, Director of Community Broadband Networks,
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Local residents, business owners, and community leaders face many challenges when addressing insufficient Internet access. Not only do these individuals need to understand what solutions are available to them, they must identify and apply the solution that best fits their needs. This webinar will explore the trade-offs, capacity, and economics behind common Internet access technologies, including cable, DSL, mobile wireless, fixed wireless, satellite, and fiber optic. Attendees will leave with the confidence to engage in broadband discussions, debates, and efforts to improve broadband Internet access.
EVENT DATE:
MAY 5, 2020
12:00 – 1:00 P.M.
EVENT DATE:
OCTOBER 29-30, 2020
8:00-5:00 P.M.
Save the date for the 2020 Michigan Broadband Summit in Traverse City, Michigan. Registration and further details coming soon!
EVENT DATE:
NOVEMBER 10, 2020
QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS?
Fill out the form below, or contact us by calling 734.527.5785.