Florida Rural Broadband Alliance

www.WeConnectFlorida.com

What is FRBA?

• A LLC, a private business entity• New Middle Mile broadband infrastructure• Connect providers of vital public sector

commercial services with private sector non-profit entities

• Broadband to two regions with only 39 % of people has access to broadband service

Who Owns FRBA

• Opportunity Florida in Florida’s Northwest Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern (NWRACEC)

• Florida Heartland (FHREDI) in South Central Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern (SCRACEC)

Regional & Local Governments’ Members

Opportunity Florida• Holmes County• Washington County• Jackson County• Gadsden County• Calhoun County• Liberty County• Gulf County• Franklin County

Florida’s Heartland REDI (Regional Economic Development Initiative)•Hardee County•Desoto County•Highlands County•Okeechobee County•Glades County•Hendry County•Immokalee

Entities Graph

Florida’s Heartland

www.flaheartland.com

How is FRBA funded?

• 2009 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act “Stimulus Money”

• August 2010 - Network to be completed 2013• ~$24 million in total• + 30 % match cash of in-kind assets & services• Private Partners:

What is Middle Mile?

• Infrastructure for the Internet. • Connects the core network to

local network. • Provides Internet backbone &

wholesale services for Last Mile providers

Middle Mile

FRBA Middle Mile

Exception: Can provide Last Mile to “Anchor Institutions”

• Health organization• Education• Social Service• Library & Schools• Nonprofit organizations

Time Plan

• All dates are preliminary • Updates will be published• 12 to 18 month • = Mid to End of 2012

Round Two Submission – Network Diagram

•Preliminary Network designs•Met all required standards for Grant Application•Incorporates 77 points of interconnection for Anchor Institutions and Local Access Providers

Network Design

FHREDIRegion

Network

South Region Network

Opportunity & Connection

Learn more

• www.weconnectflorida.com

• FHREDI – www.flaheartland.com – 863-385-4900

Questions & Comment?