The funding application process, which will see the release of loans and grants worth $4 billion by the U.S. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will be providing a competitive advantage by creating broadband coverage maps using geographic information systems (GIS) technology.
With help from the non-profit organisation, Connected Nation and using the ArcGIS technology from ESRI the geographical broadband coverage maps have been created and strong detailed support for their cases have been provided to a number of states now that they have these maps.
Seven states including Ohio, West Virginia, North Caroline, South Caroline, Tennessee, Kentucky and Minnesota, with more under development are working alongside Connected Nation, which is developing broadband landscape maps that help to identify service gaps in broadband throughout the country.
In order to get a complete picture of gaps in the current broadband coverage network and the potential for development at census, household and street level the ArcGIS technology is used to create maps with combined service data from broadband service providers with information on household demographics.
Consumers, businesses and broadband providers now have full and easy access to information regarding broadband coverage with ESRI’s web-enabled ArcGIS server, which makes the sharing of interactive maps online a possibility. Consumers who currently don’t have internet access also have the facility of a telephone hotline offered by Connected Nation.
The ESRI telecommunications and location-based services industry solutions manager, Randy Franz said “States that use GIS to create coverage maps have the data in a format that can easily be integrated into their broadband network expansion plans and grant requests. These states will have a competitive advantage in demonstrating need during the funding application process.”
The first round of the application process has begun with the deadline for entries set as the 14th August 2009, and following this there will be a further two round of entries.
Source – http://spatialnews.geocomm.com