Connecting Rural America through Broadband Technology

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Connecting Rural America through Broadband
Technology
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• The program continues to be greatly
  underutilized and is not fully realizing the
  benefits intended by the statute and our rules.
  In 1997, we authorized 400 million dollars per
  year for funding of this program. Yet, in each
  of the past 10 years, the program generally has
  disbursed less than 10 percent of the authorized
  funds.

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• Broadband has enabled health care providers to
  vastly improve access to quality medical services
  in remote areas of the country. Among other
  things, telehealth applications allow patients to
  access critically needed medical specialists in a
  variety of practices, including cardiology,
  pediatrics, and radiology, without leaving their
  homes or their communities.

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• Under this pilot program, all public and
  non-profit health care providers may apply for
  funding to construct a dedicated broadband
  network that connects health care providers in a
  state or region. In particular, given the nature
  of the pilot program, we encourage multiple
  health care providers in a state or region to
  join together for the purpose of formulating and
  submitting proposals.

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• The funding provided under this pilot program
  may be used to fund up to 85 of the costs
  incurred by the applicants to deploy a state or
  regional dedicated broadband health care network,
  and to connect that network to Internet2.

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To be eligible for participation in the pilot
program, interested parties should submit
applications that

• Identify the organization that will be legally
  and financially responsible for the conduct of
  activities supported by the fund
• Identify the goals and objectives of the proposed
  network
• Estimate the networks total costs for each year
• Describe how for-profit network participants will
  pay their fair share of the network costs
• Identify the source of financial support and
  anticipated revenues that will pay for costs not
  covered by the fund
• List the health care facilities that will be
  included in the network

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To be eligible for participation in the pilot
program, interested parties should submit
applications that

• Provide the address, zip code, Rural Urban
  Commuting Area (RUCA) code and phone number for
  each health care facility participating in the
  network
• Indicate previous experience in developing and
  managing telemedicine programs
• Provide a project management plan outlining the
  projects leadership and management structure, as
  well as its work plan, schedule, and budget.
• Indicate how the telemedicine program will be
  coordinated throughout the state or region and
• Indicate to what extent the network can be
  self-sustaining once established.

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Connecting the State of Arkansas through
Broadband Technology
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BroadbandWhere do we currently use the
technology?
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BroadbandWhere do we need the technology?
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InteroperabilityThe Arkansas Wireless
Information Network (AWIN)
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AWIN

• Statewide coverage for increased public
  protection
• Improves communication between public service
  agencies
• Enhances emergency response

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Schools and Libraries E-rate Program

• All school districts in AR connected to the
  Internet in 1996
• E-rate allowed
• bandwidth growth for all districts
• implementation of a Distance Learning Network

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RURAL HEALTH IN AR

• Total received for first eight years of the
  program 755,296.77
• Average per year 94,412.10
• Postalized rates are a major reason funding is
  low in some teleco territories

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RURAL HEALTH IN AR

• Centralized application process
• Arkansas health care providers are discussing the
  FCC rural health pilot program