Enhancing the Competitiveness of VirginiaEnhancing the Competitiveness of Virginiathroughthrough

Early Access to Advanced NetworksEarly Access to Advanced Networks

VirginiaTech

A University Putting Knowledge to WORK

If we don’t have a diverse fiber path serving our facility within two years we’ll seriously have to consider leaving. - Eastman, largest employer in SW Va region

All else aside, we will not locate our new data center there because you don’t have the right mix of fiber and providers. - AOL to the City of Danville

“Unfortunately, … rural communities are still isolated from high-speed access … making it difficult for these communities to compete for businesses that require high bandwidth services.” - epiphany from Verizon report March 2002

The Premise

“Any person, organization, community, or region that does not have the capacity at reasonable cost to be a producer of high volume information and services to the networked world has a severe

disadvantage in the global, networked economy.” - a very wise but sick man

The Problem

Accessible fiber and network infrastructure is now as critical as water, sewer, and roads for community health yet is not available within most communities. The downturn in the communications sector does not reduce this requirement but does significantly increase the challenge to these communities.

The Approach

Channel investment and promote new business models to facilitate wide scale deployment of accessible, advanced technologies that can radically alter the economics of regional and community communications capability. Work with stakeholders, public and private, to overcome obstacles, aggregate demand, stimulate investment, and develop incentives for private sector engagement.

NetworkVirginiang

MAXESnet

Abilene

NWVnggigaPOP

Internet

Sprint ROA

Sprint WTN

Sprint RIC

Verizon/Vision Alliance Access Node

PUBLIC PRIVATE

• Private sector investment and ownership; no state subsidy• Access guaranteed statewide, level prices.• Access capacity from 1.5 Mbps to 622 Mbps.• Nearly 1,000 access points serving 1.4 million people• Low cost access to Internet and Internet2• Open to everyone including businesses• Multiple contracts among multiple competing providers

How to get the most out of current providers.

eCorridors

• A new Program at Virginia Tech responding to requests from communities for help in overcoming obstacles to competing in the network economy.

• Strategy• Work with communities to assess needs, sort out obstacles

(regulatory, political, market structure, technological), plan strategy.

• Work with public and private sector players to coordinate efforts, maximize returns on investments, incent entrepreneurship and private sector leadership, develop viable long term financial and technical strategies, attack obstacles.

How to move to the next plane.

eCorridors Tobacco Commission Project

• Tobacco Indemnification Fund e58 Committee• $100M potential funding for communications infrastructure• “world bank” model

• eCorridors at VT tasked to provide coordinating vision and strategy• Develop strategy and specifications for open access, fiber

optic infrastructure covering 34 Virginia counties• Provide a framework for TC to evaluate funding requests and

to coordinate investments to maximize returns to the region• Work with private sector and government players to put

together and implement viable solutions.

How to channel available resources and change the environment.

Jeff CrowderDirector, NWVngcrowder@vt.edu540 231-3900

For More Information ...

VirginiaTechhttp://www.networkvirginia.net

http://www.ecorridors.vt.edu