MoBroadbandNow Project

1. 5/24/2011
Regional Technology Planning Team Report
OZARK FOOTHILLS BROADBAND STUDY
May 2011
OZARK FOOTHILLS
BROADBAND RESIDENTIAL NEEDS STUDY
RESIDENTIAL STUDY BACKGROUND
 Survey mailed February 2011
 4000 homes randomly sampled.
 421/11% returned.
 400 returned surveys analyzed
t d l d
 Provides margin of error of ± 5 percentage points
Ozark Foothills RTPT 1

2. 5/24/2011
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - WHO RESPONDED
By County:
Butler 52%
Carter 6%
Wayne 17%
Ripley 15%
Reynolds 10%
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - DEMOGRAPHICS
Respondent by Gender
MALE
FEMALE
49%
51%
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - DEMOGRAPHICS
Education Level
Less than High School 6%
High School graduate 38%
Some College or Associates 20%
College degree 21%
Graduate degree 9%
No Response 6%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 2

3. 5/24/2011
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - DEMOGRAPHICS
Ethnicity
Caucasian/White 86%
Asian 5%
African American 1%
Hispanic 1%
American Indian 1%
No Response 11%
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - ACCESS TO COMPUTERS/INTERNET
Do you own a computer?
NO
14%
YES
86%
RESIDENTIAL STUDY - ACCESS TO COMPUTERS/INTERNET
Do you have Internet Access
No
23%
Yes
77%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 3

4. 5/24/2011
RESIDENTIAL STUDY – TYPE OF INTERNET SERVICE
Type of Internet Service
Fixed Wireless 6%
DSL 26%
Cellular Broadband 2%
Satellite 10%
Cable Modem 19%
Dial-Up 14%
APPLICATIONS (RESIDENTIAL)
Internet Activity in the Last 7 Days
Keep in touch with family and friends 88%
Look for information about a service or product you are thinking of … 86%
Look for health or medical information 73%
Look online for news or information about politics 66%
Buy something online 66%
Use an online social networking site like Facebook or LinkedIn 65%
Do any online banking 58%
Visit your state, region or local government’s website 48%
Watch television or other videos 43%
Play online video games 33%
Look online for information about a job 33%
Contribute to a website, blog or other online forum 24%
Take a class or do homework 23%
Look for information about a place to live 22%
Share something online that you created yourself 20%
Work from home (telecommuting) 19%
Operate or support a home-based business 17%
Sell something online 13%
RESIDENTIAL STUDY – IMPORTANCE OF BROADBAND
ACCESS
How important is it for ALL RESIDENTS of the State of Missouri
to have access to computers and the Internet?
Very Important
51%
Important 23%
Somewhat Important 11%
Not at all Important 9%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 4

5. 5/24/2011
OZARK FOOTHILLS
BROADBAND BUSINESS NEEDS STUDY
BUSINESS STUDY BACKGROUND
 Online survey available from:
 January 2011 to April 2011
 82 local businesses responded
 14% were satellite offices
t llit ffi
 26% had satellite locations
 32 questions about broadband or high-speed
Internet services in the Ozark Foothills region
BUSINESS STUDY – RESPONSES BY COUNTY
By County:
Butler 72%
Carter 15%
Ripley 12%
Reynolds 0%
Wayne 1%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 5

6. 5/24/2011
EMPLOYEE BUSINESS SIZE
1–4 38%
5 - 25 37%
26 – 100 14%
101 – 500 7%
501 – 750 4%
751 – or more 0%
BUSINESS CATEGORIES
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Broadband Survey
National Business Classification
Wholesale Trade
Waste Management and Remediation Services
Utilities
Transportation and Warehousing
Retail Trade
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Public Administration
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Manufacturing
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Information
Health Care and Social Assistance
Finance and Insurance
Educational Services
Construction
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Administrative and Support Services
Accommodation and Food Services
0 2 4 6 8 10
DO YOU HAVE INTERNET SERVICE AT YOUR BUSINESS?
YES 97%
NO 3%
 Two businesses reported having no internet
service at their location, stating:
 “My business doesn’t need Internet service.”
 “Another company supports my Internet service needs,
but I would like to establish our own internet
connection.”
Ozark Foothills RTPT 6

7. 5/24/2011
CURRENT INTERNET PROVIDER
 Top 5 Mentioned
1. AT&T 18%
2. SEMO 12%
3. Big River 9%
4. Windstream 7%
5. MOREnet, CenturyLink and
CenturyTel 6%
 Service established 1986-2010, Mode=2006
BUSINESS BROADBAND PROVIDERS
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Community Broadband Survey
Business Broadband Providers (N=67)
AllTel
AT&T
Big River
Boycom
CenturyLink
CenturyTel
CityCable
FS
Hughesnet
Logonbasic
MoreNet
Municipal Utilities
MyCityCable
RuralRt
SEMO
swb
TCMax
Today's Computers
Verizon
Wildblue
Windstream
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0%
Business Broadband Providers
TYPES OF INTERNET CONNECTIONS
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Community Broadband Survey
Types of Internet Connections
(Respondents were allowed more than one answer)
Dial-up
Line - 56 Satellite Fiber to the Fixed Cable Mobile Frame
DSL T1
T-1
Kbps or Broadband Premises Wireless Modem Wireless Relay/CIR
Less
Series1 2.7% 6.7% 8.0% 49.3% 8.0% 18.7% 5.3% 0.0% 21.3%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 7

8. 5/24/2011
SPEED OF CONNECTIONS
 56% reported not knowing their speed
 54% reported the following speeds by connection type:
 Satellite Broadband Users
 download speed 1.6 Mbps - upload speed 250 Kbps (2)
 Fiber to the Premises Responses
 10 Mbps
 30 Mbps
 5 Mbps up and down
 Fixed Wireless Users
 5 Mbps (2)
 10 Mbps
SPEED OF CONNECTIONS
 DSL Users
 1 Mbps (2)
 3 Mbps (4)
 1.5 Mbps down 128 Kbps up
 3 – 5 Mbps
 T-1
 10 Mbps
 6 Mbps/768 Kbps
 T-1
 1.0 Mbps up and down
 1.0 Mbps download 1.5 Mbps upload
SPEED OF CONNECTIONS
 Cable Modem Users
 256 Kbps
 1 Mbps (3)
 2 Mbps
 3 Mbps Download/1 Mbps Upload
 3 Mbps (3)
 5 Mbps
 512 Kbps/1 Mbps
Ozark Foothills RTPT 8

9. 5/24/2011
ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICE
 2 Businesses reported not having Broadband
(High Speed Internet) Service available in their
area
 They indicated that they will adopt broadband when
it is available
BROADBAND SERVICE RATINGS
Rating of Broadband Services
Don’t
Very Very Response
Services Satisfied Dissatisfied Know/Not
Satisfied Dissatisfied Count
Applicable
Cost of internet/network
service 11.3% 50.7% 19.7% 9.9% 8.5% 71
Speed of the on-line
connection 11.1% 48.6% 25.0% 13.9% 1.4% 72
Billing practices of your
provider 18.6% 68.6% 1.4% 0.0% 11.4% 70
Reliable access to the
Internet 23.6% 54.2% 20.8% 1.4% 0.0% 72
Training and technical
support 15.3% 51.4% 15.3% 5.6% 12.5% 72
Customer Service
Representative’s
knowledge when you call 18.3% 52.1% 19.7% 5.6% 4.2% 71
for service
Installation technician’s
ability and courteousness 25.4% 53.5% 5.6% 1.4% 14.1% 71
SUPPORTED INTERNET APPLICATIONS
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Community Broadband Survey
Internet Supported Business Applications
On-line customer support
On-line appointments
Research
g
Monitoring functions
Banking
On-line education
Business to business functions
Website applications
E-business
Internet telephone
File sharing
Videoconferencing
E-mail
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 9

10. 5/24/2011
IMPORTANCE OF BROADBAND AMONG BUSINESSES
 How important is a broadband (high-speed
Internet access) connection to the day to day
operations of your business?
Very Important 90.3%
90 3%
Important 8.3%
Somewhat Important 1.4%
Not at all Important 0.0%
WHY IMPORTANT?
WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR BUSINESS IF
BROADBAND WERE ENHANCED?
 97% indicated “YES”
 When describing “Why?” key reasons include:
1. Faster/speed 39%
2. Service 14%
3. Reliability 8%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 10

11. 5/24/2011
COMMERCIAL BROADBAND ENVIRONMENT
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Community Broadband Survey
Availability of Multiple, Competing Broadband Options
There is not a broadband option available that 8.6%
is suitable for my business.
Not Competitive at All, only one provider option 40.6%
Somewhat Competitive, two providers 41.4%
Competitive, several options 10.0%
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
COST OF SERVICE
Ozark Foothills Regional Business Community Broadband Survey
Cost of Broadband
Less than $50 18.6%
More than $50 and less than $100 31.4%
Between $100 and $200 12.9%
Between $200 and $300 8.6%
More than $300 per month 15.7%
Don’t know how much we pay. 12.9%
TYPE OF CONTRACT
TOP THREE RESPONSES
MONTHLY 21%
ANNUAL 3%
SPECIFIED TERM 3%
Ozark Foothills RTPT 11

12. 5/24/2011
ONLINE BUSINESS SURVEY
 23 Businesses had other comments about
broadband service availability in the region. Some
included:
 There need to be more p p
providers and better speeds.
 If broadband became more accessible, I think that it
would benefit more than just the businesses in this
area. Some of my customers can't open files that I send
to them because broadband isn't available in their area
or the speed that is available is so slow that the
download times out.
ONLINE BUSINESS SURVEY
 Additional comments:
 More infrastructure is needed in rural areas
 Need more options, better cost.
 Not enough service area, need larger area coverage
 We place great emphasis on medical tele-video
conferencing. The poor service at our satellite clinics
significantly impacts our ability to provide quality
service.
 With the internet becoming more essential to our
business, we would like to see an increase in the
availability of broadband to all of southeast Missouri.
OZARK FOOTHILLS
VARIOUS SECTORS’ BROADBAND NEEDS
Ozark Foothills RTPT 12

13. 5/24/2011
INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA
 Individual Sector Data was collected through
various methods:
 Focus Groups
 Written Surveys
 Interviews
 Online Surveys
INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA
 Focus Groups were held with 8 – 15
sector representatives for the following
sectors:
 Agriculture
 Tourism/Entrepreneur/Small Business
INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA
 Written (w) and Online Surveys (ol) were received
from the following groups:
 Agriculture (2 ol Business Survey)
 Economic Development Sector (12 w/1 ol Business
Survey)
S )
 Energy Sector (4 w Business Surveys)
 Environment Sector (9 w)
 Healthcare Sector (4 w/3 ol/6 ol Business Surveys)
 Higher Education Sector (1 w/3 ol Business Surveys)
 K-12 Education Sector (6 w/2 ol/1 ol Business Survey)
Ozark Foothills RTPT 13

14. 5/24/2011
INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA
 Industrialand Manufacturing Sector (1 w/2 ol
Business Surveys)
 Library Sector (2 w/2 ol)
 Local Government (1 w/13 ol)
 Public Safety (1 w/3 ol)
 Professional and Retail (14 ol Business Surveys)
 Tourism/Entrepreneur/Small Business (8 ol
Business Surveys)
 Workforce Development (1 ol)
KEY ASPECTS OF AGRICULTURAL USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Internet, network services and broadband have a
variety of uses in the agricultural arena, including:
 Buying and selling hay, supplies and equipment
 Direct marketing
 Watching live cattle auctions through streaming video
 Monitoring weather
 Finding parts and manuals for old farm equipment on
eBay
 Broadband has been critical to the success of:
 Setting up websites to sell to specialty markets
 Having dependable connections
KEY ASPECTS OF AGRICULTURAL USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Problems created by the lack of broadband availability, include:
 Difficulty in maintaining websites
 Not getting proper training
 Not being able to get affordable access
 Placing limits and boundaries on doing agricultural business
 Broadband is important in the future for a variety of reasons,
p y ,
including:
 Facilitating mobility
 Enabling better security
 Accessing continuing education
 Allowing farmers and agricultural businesses to meet the needs of their
customers
 Broadband should be in the top three for priority in the region
Ozark Foothills RTPT 14

15. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
USE OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 The majority of respondents indicate that broadband and the
internet are critical to the success of their operations,
including:
 A variety of business transactions
 Downloading and uploading projects from and for clients
 Contact with other businesses
ith b sinesses
 It has gone from being a luxury to a convenience to a major necessity
 Problems created by the lack of broadband service, capacity or
availability include:
 Slow speeds hindering operations
 Lack of redundancy
 Unable to access online video because of slow download speeds
 Lack of proper connectivity to remote job site
KEY ASPECTS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
USE OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Having access to broadband is critical to the
future including:
 More and more devices will require high speed
internet connections
 The need for redundancy is increasing
Th df d d i i i g
 The area will need faster services and the
infrastructure that supports it
 Technology is the future
 Many respondents rank it first on a list of
priorities, while others ranked it #2 or #4
KEY ASPECTS OF ENERGY SECTOR USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Respondents report a range of broadband
services including: DSL, cable modem and T-1s.
 Respondents are generally satisfied with their
connections, but do report some level of
dissatisfaction with speed, choice of providers
and customer service and installation.
 A variety of uses are reported, primarily: email,
research, website applications and online
education.
 Only one respondent reported online customer support,
while another respondent reported monitoring
functions
Ozark Foothills RTPT 15

16. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF ENERGY SECTOR USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Most respondents reported that it was very
important to have a robust broadband
connection
 Most reported that it would be beneficial to
have broadband enhanced in there area,
including the ability to increase
upload/download speeds and decrease down
time.
KEY ASPECTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL AND TOURISM
SECTOR USE OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 The internet and broadband service have been critical to the
success of certain operations, including:
 Ordering and delivering
 Financial transactions
 Providing internet access to patrons
 Electronic publishing
g
 Access to education
 Problems with high speed availability and capacity include:
 Not being able to provide live streaming on websites
 Problems with providing Wi-Fi to patrons
 Customers expect high speed internet
 Not being able to remotely access systems, especially by workers
at home
KEY ASPECTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL AND TOURISM
SECTOR USE OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Broadband is important for the future for a variety
of reasons, including:
 Customers want to access more and more online
 You have to be online to be visible
 Broadband is critical to the tourism business. You are
competing with those that can provide internet to
customers and those that have the best website
capabilities.
 Customers need high speed in order to get the services
that they can provide
 Broadband is an important issue in the region:
 Most ranked it in the top two or top five
Ozark Foothills RTPT 16

17. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SECTOR USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Use of internet, network services and
broadband is critical for a number of
environmental-related organizational
functions, including:
 Downloading mapping programs
 Reporting,accounting and financial functions
 Maintaining databases, listservs and websites
 Nearly all indicate that broadband service is
critical to the success of some of their
projects
KEY ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SECTOR USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Broadband availability and adoption issues have
created problems including:
 Moving to a different location to access higher speed
internet
 Not being able to respond remotely from anywhere in
the region
 Not being able to complete a majority of necessary
work when broadband isn’t available
 Most rank broadband availability and adoption
as one of the top three issues in the region
KEY ASPECTS OF INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING
USE OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Internet, network services and broadband are
used by this sector for:
 Streaming video and audio
 Uploading large files
 Access to corporate databases
 Many B2B and business to client functions
 Cost and slow speeds are sources of
dissatisfaction
 Broadband is either very important or important to
day-to-day operations
Ozark Foothills RTPT 17

18. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF HEALTHCARE USE OF INTERNET AND
BROADBAND
 Multiple healthcare operations and activities are
dependent on broadband and the internet, including:
 Radiology services
 Secure transfer of health information
 Telemedicine
 Medical precertification and billing services
 Medical education and training
 Medical research
 The lack of speed and capacity at the end-user’s
location (clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, imaging centers,
etc.) compromises the provision of services
KEY ASPECTS OF HEALTHCARE USE OF INTERNET AND
BROADBAND
 Having access to broadband is critical to the future
of healthcare services including:
 Providing immediate specialty care
 Faster diagnostic results
 Coordination of medical staff
 Improvement in patient safety and quality of care
 Improved communication with healthcare providers
 Addressing broadband issues is a high priority
among hospitals and local public health agencies;
and a lower priority for medical service providers
KEY ASPECTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Broadband, the internet and other network
services have many uses for Three Rivers
Community College in the Ozark Foothills region,
including:
 ITV classes to multiple college locations and 22 high
p g g
schools
 Online services for students, such as registration, grade
checking, etc.
 Online access to multiple library resources including
100 specialized databases
 Remote connectivity, faculty and employees to TRCC
LAN resources
Ozark Foothills RTPT 18

19. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Problems with broadband availability and
affordable high speed internet currently limits
TRCC’s offerings in many areas, including:
 ITV
 Site-to-site communications and backups
 Student services
 Broadband availability is an extremely
important issue and high priority for TRCC
KEY ASPECTS OF K-12 EDUCATIONAL USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 7 out of 15 school districts responded
 There is a great and growing use of broadband and
internet in K-12 educational services, including:
 Use in the classroom (ITV, web applications, google apps,
use of tablet pcs, etc.)
 Use at home (Study Island, Reading Plus, A+LS Anywhere
Island Plus
Learning System, Symphony Math, etc.)
 District record keeping and reporting (DESE)
 Educational streaming videos
 Communication with other educational organizations
 Web-based curriculum and interventions
 Training for teachers and staff is needed in the majority
of cases
KEY ASPECTS OF K-12 EDUCATIONAL USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Problems with broadband availability, affordability and
security limits faculty/staff, parent and student
utilization. Specifically:
 Most students living outside a city do not have access to
broadband
 What is available is not offered at an affordable p
price
 Bandwidth and speed of district broadband is insufficient
for upgrading applications
 Access by parents and students to/from satellite locations is
problematic beyond primary district facilities
 Most agreed that the cost can be expensive, but E-rate
funding makes it manageable for the schools. However,
many students and staff do not have access to
affordable broadband which needs to be addressed.
Ozark Foothills RTPT 19

20. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF LIBRARY SECTOR USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Both Doniphan-Ripley County and Poplar Bluff Library
responded
 Broadband/internet access is critical infrastructure for
libraries, concerning:
 Public access
 pp
Use of “cloud applications”
 Access to research and databases
 Connections between main and branch libraries
 Problems created by the lack of broadband service, capacity
or availability include:
 Lack of proper broadband slows down multiple library processes
 Installation costs of additional T-1 lines is incurred due to lack of
fiber capacity in the area from providers that serve MORENet
KEY ASPECTS OF LIBRARY SECTOR USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Having access to broadband is critical to the future
because:
 High quality service needs will continue to increase
 Training for patrons is always a high demand
 Rural areas have no or little access to broadband and
the public library is their only resource
 The world of information requires video, audio and
interactive webpages
 Reduced government funding is counter-
productive and infrastructure is expensive.
 Broadband availability and access is the top
priority
KEY ASPECTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Internet, network services and broadband have
a variety of uses in local government
operations, including:
 Information gathering and research
 Access to online sites for reporting purposes
 Financial transactions
 Communications with vendors and businesses
 Provision of some services like voter registration
(would be nice if all residents could access)
Ozark Foothills RTPT 20

21. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT USE OF
INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 78% reported that the right hardware, software and
other tools are in place to utilize broadband
 Primary service is DSL
 Not always available outside of City limits
 60% reported needing training for the use of email,
internet, networks, etc.
i k
 70% indicate that addressing broadband services and
adoption issues is “very important” or “important”
 The key issue noted was that while local government may
have access to broadband, many of their citizens do not,
and this limits the ability of local government to provide
services in today's world.
KEY ASPECTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Internet, network services and broadband are
used by public safety organizations for:
 Reporting
 Getting up-to-date weather and storm information
 Filinggrant applications
 Relaying information to those within and outside
the organization
 Accessing crime databases
KEY ASPECTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY USE OF INTERNET
AND BROADBAND
 Lack of uniform broadband availability creates
problems in achieving adequate connections
with mobile units and to all locations within the
organization s coverage area
organization’s
 All indicate broadband availability and adoption
are very important or important issues to
address in the region
Ozark Foothills RTPT 21

22. 5/24/2011
KEY ASPECTS OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT USE
OF INTERNET AND BROADBAND
 Use of Internet, network services and broadband
include:
 Access to on-line training services
 Problems created by lack of broadband availability or
adoption include:
 Persons in remote areas are not able to access either in-
person Career Centers because of distance or on-line
training because of lack of access to broadband
 Irony is, workers with good access to broadband are also closest to
Career Centers
 Broadband enhancements are needed in the remote
areas of Wayne, Reynolds and Carter counties
 Addressing these issues in the region is very important
MORE INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA NEEDED
 Industrial and Manufacturing Sector
 Missing a number of large employers
 K-12 Education Sector:
 Missing 8 School Districts
 Library Sector:
 Missing 3 Key Libraries
 Local Government Sector:
 Missing 8 Local Governments
 Public Safety Sector:
 Missing Key Sherriff, Police and Emergency Response
Organizations
MORE INDIVIDUAL SECTOR DATA NEEDED
 Workforce Development Sector
 Additional input would be useful
 Broadband Provider Sector
 Need
N d to obtain feedback from provider community
t bt i f db k f id it
 Community and Social Services Sector
 Additional input from this sector, besides what was
received through other sector surveys and
discussions, would be useful
Ozark Foothills RTPT 22

23. 5/24/2011
OZARK FOOTHILLS BROADBAND RTPT
STRATEGIC PLANNING
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 The Broadband Strategic Planning process is designed
to identify strategies, and related directions, initiatives,
goals and objectives, that can be employed by
interested parties within the Regional Technology
Planning Team’s region in the coming months and
years to leverage and build upon existing broadband-
related strengths, overcome current weaknesses,
effectively address current and future challenges, and
take full advantage of current and future broadband
opportunities.
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 It is a large scale, high-level planning exercise
that provides specific guideposts and pathways
to better help the region build long term
broadband sustainability concerning both
availability (supply) and adoption (demand) for
all the constituencies within the region.
Ozark Foothills RTPT 23

24. 5/24/2011
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 The Strategic Planning process, to accomplish
the purpose discussed above, is typically split
into four (4) phases:
 Phase 1: Leverage the Findings from the Needs
Assessment and Existing Information Review – A
detailed understanding is developed of the current
broadband climate and the current and future
broadband-related needs in the region.
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 2: Meeting and Planning Activities with the
RTPT members – In a full RTPT meeting, there
should be significant discussion about moving from
the current broadband environment to the one
needed within the region.
d d i hi h i
 Based on these discussions and available baseline data,
a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges
(SWOC) analysis will be performed.
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES (SWOC) ANALYSIS
 A SWOC analysis is a strategic planning exercise that is,
in this case, designed to help identify broadband
availability and adoption issues that will be considered
high priority for development of strategic directions and
initiatives.
 Once identified, the goal is to develop strategic
directions and initiatives that:
 Take full advantage of and leverage the identified strengths
 Improve on weaknesses that are determined
 Seize the opportunities that are identified
 Address the challenges that have been delineated
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25. 5/24/2011
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES (SWOC) ANALYSIS
 The definitions of the four (4) SWOC elements
are as follows:
 Strengths – Broadband-related systems, practices,
processes, and resources that are highly valued by
broadband-related stakeholders within the region.
b db d l t d t k h ld ithi th i
 Weaknesses – Areas that need improvement,
reasons why stakeholders are not able to
wholeheartedly embrace broadband and areas that
tend to compromise the achievement of high levels
of availability and adoption.
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES (SWOC) ANALYSIS
 Opportunities – Favorable
situations/circumstances not yet taken advantage
of that may positively impact the development and
acceptance of broadband.
 Challenges – Present and future
situations/circumstances that may negatively
impact broadband development and acceptance as
perceived by regional stakeholders.
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND
CHALLENGES (SWOC) ANALYSIS
 The SWOC analysis will help provide a solid
basis for improving the broadband landscape
going forward.
 In addition, this process will help focus the
addition
RTPT’s efforts by providing the basis for
prioritization of tasks going forward.
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26. 5/24/2011
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 2: cont’d
 The analysis should cover a wide range of issues
including those centered on:
 residential, business and institutional broadband availability
and adoption,
 whether available bandwidth(s) are sufficient for current as well
as near and long term needs and applications,
 potential upgrade and expansion possibilities,
 reliability of existing networks,
 related matters.
 Providers will be asked to present their ideas on
possibilities for advancing the broadband environment.
SWOC ANALYSIS
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 2: cont’d
Best practices will be reviewed from both an
availability and demand-spurring perspective,
with examples g
p given from within the region,
g
around the State and across the country.
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27. 5/24/2011
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 3: Findings and Initial Strategic Plan
Element Development – During this phase, the
RTPT will review the initial findings, priorities,
potential strategic directions and actions,
timelines and resources needed related to
those potential directions.
 In this phase, a number of potential strategic
directions and initiatives will be identified,
reviewed, discussed, and then incorporated into the
initial draft of the Strategic Plan.
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 4: Drafting and Finalization of the
Strategic Plan – At this stage, the initial draft of
the Strategic Plan will be crafted and reviewed
by the RTPT.
 Typically,the Strategic Plan will consist of the
following elements:
1. Introduction and Regional Overview
2. Purpose Statement
3. Detailed SWOC Findings and Analysis
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Elements, cont’d:
4. Strategic Direction(s)
 Short, medium and long term goals and objectives to boost
broadband adoption and availability.
 Action Items and Implementation Plan
5. Financial, human and organizational resource
considerations
6. Timelines and benchmarks for measuring progress
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28. 5/24/2011
BROADBAND STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSE
AND PROCESS
 Phase 4: cont’d
 The initial draft Plan should be reviewed by the RTPT
members, interested members of the public (perhaps
through a “Town Meeting” format) and members of the
various sectors
 Once the RTPT members, public and interested parties
review and provide comments, the Plan will be revised
based on the comments.
 From there, it will go back to the RTPT for a final review
before being issued publically and then being rolled up
into a compilation plan for the entire State of Missouri.
Additional Discussion
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE
OZARK FOOTHILLS BROADBAND PLANNING
PROJECT!
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