Are you happy with your current Internet access?
There are options in Chaffee County!
Our team has been successful in attracting new Internet Provider options in the county.
But, before you call a provider…
Check out How to Choose an ISP for Your Small Business to figure out what you actually need, and create a list of questions to ask any potential ISP before you sign up for service.
Stay informed
BROADBAND BACKGROUND
Broadband in Chaffee County
1. Introduction – why we should care about broadband
2. Broadband 101 – an overview on broadband terms, how it works,
what is driving the need, etc.
3. Rural Broadband: Federal and State Perspectives – a look at some
policies, regulations and laws affecting broadband
4. Why Broadband Now? – 5 reasons why we must act now
Carrier Neutral Location – an overview from the Governors Office of Information Technology about what a carrier neutral facility provides
Take the State Speed Test – note, you need Adobe Flash to run this.
If your connection speeds are slow, there are things you can do to speed up your connection. And if your speeds are consistently slow (slow speed test results over several days), contact your provider for additional help.
Information about Rural Broadband
Rural Broadband – an excellent overview of rural broadband issues by the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Stories from ConnectedNation – success stories from healthcare, the arts, manufacturing, sports and leisure, agriculture and non-profits using broadband in innovative ways.
Adoption of Broadband – urban households average broadband Internet usage rates of 66% while rural households average 51%.
Community Broadband Networks – an informative blog highlighting efforts around the country to ensure access to affordable, reliable and fast networks in local communities. Note: The author does have an agenda to champion local community solutions.
Modeling the Cost Of Rural Fiber Deployment – a study of independent telco FTTH deployments to determine a cost model for laying fiber.
Reports
National Broadband Map – how connected is my community?
Bringing Broadband to Rural America – an update to the 2009 Rural Broadband Report, an effort of the FCC and USDA to ensure that rural America can benefit from the growing Internet-based economy.
The Impact of Broadband Speed and Price on Small Business –
This SBA report found that the Internet market is not meeting the needs of small businesses – the market is not competitive resulting in poor performance and high prices for advanced services.
Small businesses and broadband: Key drivers for economic recovery– This working paper, from The Institute for Information Policy at
Pennsylvania State University, points out that 2/3 of all new jobs come from small and medium enterprises, and that “It is the adoption of the eBusiness model that can drive renewed SME growth, but only if they have access to affordable, fast, reliable broadband services.”
Measuring Broadband’s Economic Impact – finds that broadband access does enhance economic growth and performance, and to be successful, local efforts require education and training to ensure broadband use.
The Effects of Broadband Deployment on Output and Employment – a Brookings Institute study found that for every one percentage point increase in broadband penetration rate in a state, employment is projected to increase by 0.2-0.3 percent per year.
TEAM DOCUMENTS
Social Media
LinkedIn101 : building your personal and business profiles
-> Join our LinkedIn group: a Chaffee County group for networking, posting
jobs and more…
CHAFFEECONNECT TOOLKIT
Broadband in Chaffee County –
1. Introduction – why we should care about broadband
2. Broadband 101 – an overview on broadband terms, how it works,
what is driving the need, etc.
3. Rural Broadband: Federal and State Perspectives – a look at some
policies, regulations and laws affecting broadband
4. Why Broadband Now? – 5 reasons why we must act now
Estimating Broadband Needs – a table that will help you estimate your broadband needs, based on common applications
Choosing an ISP for your small business – questions you need to answer for your business, plus questions to ask potential ISPs.
Chaffee County Lessons Learned Using the 7 A’s – using Frank’s 7 A’s, we’ve started collecting what we’ve learned along the way
Carrier Neutral Location – an overview from the Governors Office of Information Technology about what a carrier neutral facility provides
State Broadband Survey – link to the Colorado survey
What Every County Commisioner Needs to Know About Broadband – from Colorado Counties, Inc.
Flyers We Used
Broadband Talking Points – one page of quick facts about broadband and the effort in Chaffee County
Team Instructions for survey – how to explain this effort
– For Libraries
– For Schools – audio script
Public Flyer – one page, printable flyer for handing out at talks (PDF)
Short Business Survey Flyer – a shorter flyer aimed at businesses (PDF)
Survey Flyer – original color flyer used to ask for participation (PDF)
OTHER TOOLKITS
Community broadband planning toolkit – from the Rural Telecon Congress
FAQ
What is Broadband?
The word “broadband” refers to any technology that transmits data across the Internet at high speeds. Transmission is two-way: downloading to your computer and uploading data to the Web site or service you are using. For the Internet, a broadband connection is always “on”, unlike dial-up where a new connection is made every time the user wants to go online.
“Basic broadband”, as defined by the FCC in 2010, is download speeds to your computer of 4 Mbps and 1 Mbps upload from your computer. For streaming movies (i.e. those you view instantly as they download) through your computer, or gaming console, Netflix recommends at least 2.4 Mbps for DVD quality video and audio. See also Broadband 101.
What does DSL, cable, wireless and fiber have to do with it?
The “last mile” of broadband service goes from your local access point such as your telephone, cable or ISP’s equipment to your home or business. It’s not really a “mile”, and in rural areas can be a distance of many miles. Last mile broadband service is typically delivered by telephone companies on DSL (digital subscriber line), the generic term for service using the phone lines; by cable TV providers over coaxial cable; or fiber-optic cable through ISPs (Internet Service Providers). There are also fixed wireless solutions for broadband, including microwave, Wi-MAX and Wi-Fi. See Broadband 101 for more details.
How accurate are the speed tests?
Speeds tests are not 100% accurate, but you should routinely see speeds close to for what you are paying. Some wireless routers can produce slower times, as can being pointed to a more “distant” or slow DNS server (which translates your web address requests). Your tests can also be slowed by your PC, and how it is configured for your network, or if you are running other web-based software at the same time. For the most accurate test of your configuration, try connecting to your router with a hardwire, and turn off any background downloads that might compete for resources. For more information, see About.com.
What is the cloud, and cloud computing?
Cloud computing provides you the means to do all of your personal and business applications wherever and whenever you need it – on your laptop, iPad, smart phone or other connected device. The cloud represents all the computers and devices on the Internet that deliver these services. Examples include storing your music or photos in the cloud and accessing them from your laptop at home or phone when you’re on the road.
Why should I care about broadband services?
“The simple answer is that rural communities will be economically crippled without broadband access. That’s the long and the short of it.
Broadband will not bring immediate economic transformation to rural America. But regions that lack broadband will be crippled. Having broadband may not necessarily mean a sharp increase in jobs; however, not having broadband will probably mean fewer jobs.
This paradox exists because Internet connectivity increasingly is necessary for many political, economic and social transactions — in everything from contacting elected representatives to filing insurance papers to keeping up with classes offered at the local community center.
Not having access to these mechanisms means being cut off from opportunities and from what is now defined as normal communication channels. Broadband is expected — by employers, job seekers and businesses looking to bring goods to markets. Having access to broadband, therefore, is simply treading water. Not having it means you sink.”
– Sharon Strover, the director of the Telecommunications and Information Policy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin
I have T1 lines to my business that were supposed to be “the solution”, so what makes this different?
T1 lines were often deployed to serve both Internet and PBX (phone) services to businesses. Their rate, 1.5 Mbps, will not provide the high-speed access you will need in the future. T1 service can also be limited by the upper limits of the phone system, for instance, if the line to your business is over copper wire. A fiber broadband infrastructure gives you the ability to upgrade speeds over time, as higher speed technology becomes available.
What is ChaffeeConnect?
ChaffeeConnect is a project started by the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation, which connects local business and community leaders, and interested citizens so we can understand the current state of our broadband service and find real, local solutions that work for us and our growing needs.
What is EAGLE-Net?
The EAGLE-Net (Educational Access Gateway Learning Environment Network) Alliance is an intergovernmental entity seeking to build a high-speed broadband network serving Colorado school districts and other community anchor institutions. ChaffeeConnect is working with EAGLE-Net to facilitate their planning efforts for Chaffee County and the surrounding counties.
MEDIA
ChaffeeConnect, an initiative of the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation, worked to find affordable and redundant “middle mile” broadband service that can support high speed Internet connectivity capabilities needed by businesses and residents throughout Chaffee County. We all know how important a reliable and fast Internet connection is in our daily lives. And the ChaffeeConnect team, including business and community leaders, government representatives and interested citizens, aggregated county Internet demand and created strategies in the private sector to meet that demand.
Press Releases
CCEDC Explores Creating Local SCORE Chapter
– January 7, 2013
Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel Director to Speak on Consumer Issues
– November 28, 2011
Better Internet Services Essential to Connect Chaffee County
– October 20, 2011
Related Stories in the Press
EAGLE-Net Internet plans remain on hold
– The Mountain Mail, February 12, 2013
Broadband improves
– The Mountain Mail, December 7, 2012
New broadband service deploys
– The Mountain Mail, December 6, 2012
EAGLE-Net begins Chaffee County broadband expansion
– The Mountain Mail, December 3, 2012
Broadband options explored; CCEDC looks for increased competition in county
– The Chaffee County Times, August 2, 2012
Cut cable kills internet, phone
– The Mountain Mail, June 7, 2012
Schwartz reviews legislative session
– The Mountain Mail, May 14, 2012
$70,000 donation will be used for broadband efforts
– The Mountain Mail, May 3, 2012
Better broadband service sought in outlying areas
– The Pueblo Chieftain, February 18, 2012
Broadband discussion ends with call to action
– The Mountain Mail, December 12, 2011
Digital access affects economic development
– The Mountain Mail, November 28, 2011
Why Should We Care about High-Speed Broadband in Chaffee County?
– Salida Citizen, November 10, 2011
Three Part Series in The Mountain Mail
1) High-speed Internet becomes top priority of economic leaders
– October 24, 2011
2) Officials point to broadband as critical to jobs
– October 25, 2011
3) CCEDC canvasses public to participate in survey
– October 27, 2011
ChaffeeConnect
– EAGLE-Net Newsletter, October 5, 2011
School board learns about Internet options
– The Mountain Mail, September 29, 2011
Communication infrastructure meeting set for Friday
– The Mountain Mail, June 30, 2011
Background
Broadband in Chaffee County
1. Introduction – why we should care about broadband
2. Broadband 101 – an overview on broadband terms, how it works,
what is driving the need, etc.
3. Rural Broadband: Federal and State Perspectives – a look at some
policies, regulations and laws affecting broadband
4. Why Broadband Now? – 5 reasons why we must act now
See also, Broadband Backgound and Frequently Asked Questions for more information about broadband and it’s importance.