Appalachian Regional Commission

“Connecting Communities With Wireless and Messed Technologies”

W2i Digital Cities Conference

Washington 2007

Alabama

Tennessee

Georgia

SouthCarolina

Kentucky

WestVirginia

Ohio

Mis

sis

sip

pi

North Carolina

Virginia

Pennsylvania

New York

Maryland

Appalachian States

Appalachian Region 13 states

410 counties

200,741 sq. miles

23 million people

72 local development districts

13 states

410 counties

200,741 sq. miles

23 million people

72 local development districts

The 1991 Telecommunications Conference in Knoxville

• ARC held a conference in Knoxville on Telecommunications - “Connections for Rural Competitiveness”

• ARC partnered with Universities, the TVA, and telecommunication service providers

• Over 350 people attended this conference

Strategic Telecommunication Planning

Following the Knoxville Conference the ARC reserved $265,000 to undertake a limited number of strategic telecommunications planning projects. An interesting fact to note is that telemedicine activities were included in all the final applications

1992 - 1994

• 11 States submitted strategic telecommunication planning proposals under the reservation of funds

• The ARC strongly believes that any type of community wireless / messed telecommunication network must be based on a solid strategic plan that incorporates “aggregation of demand” elements and “ results in a solid business case model being developed”

• The ARC eventually went on to support the: e-NC Authority, ConnectKentucky, and numerous other statewide strategic telecommunication planning efforts in order to assure community and service provider coordination in the planning process

2 Sector Beneficiary Requirement for all projects

• Following the Knoxville Conference of 1991, the ARC established a policy that all future funded projects must benefit at least 2 sectors of the local economy to ensure sustainability of projects. For example: health & education, business & government, government & health, etc. In some instances all 4 sectors benefited from a single project.

ARC’s Wireless / messed technology investments in the region • The ARC has funded projects using wireless technologies

for more than 12 years• All of the ARC investments were sector driven – i.e.:

education, health, government, or business / economic development based

• The ARC has never funded a municipal wireless network

• Direct investments in wireless technologies have been made in the following states: NY, PA, OH, MD, WV, Al, GA, MS, and NC

Beginning in the mid 1990’s the ARC started placing investments in the region to support specific community needs -

beginning with E-911 projects

ARC’s first Telecommunications Regional Initiative 1995 –1998 -

$12M • More strategic planning projects were

undertaken – PA, OH, AL, GA, TN, KY, NC, MS –

• Numerous distance learning and telemedicine applications partnered together in the first wave of ARC investments some of these investments included limited wireless technologies

ARC Telecommunication Program 1995-2007

• Independent of the Special Telecommunications Regional Initiative programs - the ARC has routinely funded a number of wireless and messed wireless applications through out the region:

• Past examples of approved projects include: EMS / E-911 projects – NC, OH [4], Al [4], criminal justice - telehealth / tele-psychiatry projects - Al [3], Virtual Pediatrics – NY, distance learning [laptops] GA, NC, OH, WV, and economic and community development in: Cumberland MD, Rome GA, Delhi NY, Glenville WV, Pickens County AL, and Tionesta Valley PA

How to Apply for ARC Funding

• Look on the ARC Web site at: www.ARC.GOV and open up your state’s file

• Examine which counties in your state are eligible to participate in the ARC program

• Then contact your respective State Program Manager and discuss your proposed project

• Do not put anything in writing prior to your verbal discussions

Current Eligible Project Activities

• The ARC currently funds “limited” construction, equipment acquisition, operational expenses [not on-going], consultant services, supplies, travel, and other eligible related expenses

Matching Grant Program • The ARC funds can be used to match:• Rural Utility Service Grants [RUS] - USDA• DHHS grants – OAT Program• Economic Development Administration [EDA] - DOC• Tennessee Valley Authority [TVA], and other related Federal programs

• Grantees are Strongly encouraged to file joint applications with other Federal agencies and

****remember to provide full copies of the ARC application to the other agency for collaboration

purposes……….. Very important!!!

County Economic

Status, Fiscal Year

2008

Distressed (78)

Transitional (226)

Competitive (26)

Attainment (6)

Economic Status

At-Risk (78)

Amount of ARC grant assistance that can be requested

• The amount of ARC funds that can be approved for a project is determined by two factors:

• The location of a project in a particular county determines the maximum amount that can be awarded by the ARC for example: 80%, 50%, 30%, or other.

• A state may have its own maximum amount that the state will not exceed no matter what may be eligible percentage wise

• You must discuss your proposed project with the State ARC Program Manager to ascertain if a project is authorized to be developed

Annual ARC Amount that goes into wireless and messed telecommunications

projects • Annually the ARC approves approximately $6– 8

million in telecommunication projects. Perhaps $100,00 - $500,000 will be invested in wireless projects in any single year, or nothing at all is funded by the ARC in wireless projects…..

• In recent years the ARC has been funding annually 2-3 new projects region wide that have some element of wireless technology involved in the project

How to Apply for funding

• Remember all projects MUST come through the state ARC office

• The ARC does not accept any direct proposals from grantees

• Remember before you develop any type of formal presentation / application / whatever contact your state’s Program Manager to determine if you have an eligible type project, and determine if your proposal is to be invited

Rural Telecommunications Congress Conference – October 5-8 / 2008 in

Smugglers Gap, Vermont

• Please check the RTC Web site for details at www.Ruraltelecon.org for conference updates…

• Approximately 350 people have annually attended this conference over the past 10 years

• The RTC has been the primary voice for rural telecommunications since 1997

• The ARC has been a financial / programmatic supporter of this conference since 2001

Thank you

Harry L. Roesch

Senior Telecommunications Program Advisor

Appalachian Regional Commission

1666 Connecticut Ave. N. W.

Washington, D. C. 20009 –1068

202-884-7774

Fax 202-884-7682

WWW.ARC.GOV