Provider's Engaged by Connected Texas
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Stakeholder, Since 2010, Connected Texas has been narrowing the divide between those who have access to broadband and those who do not. Connected Texas has created the forum for a variety of leaders and entities to unite behind common goals and a shared vision. This teamwork has made Texas a better place for business and an even better place to live in large measure by addressing the technology needs of education and business. Connected Texas provides statewide technology leadership and advocacy through robust, public-private partnerships that expand broadband access and enhance technology adoption and use to grow economies, retain and attract talent, and create jobs. Fueled by unprecedented data and research, Connected Texas’ ability to facilitate and organize a diverse cross-section of stakeholders has resulted in numerous efforts across the state to expand the life-changing benefits of broadband to all. These efforts were continued and maintained in part due to the receipt of the State Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). While Connected Texas’ impact has been substantial, the need for ongoing improvement in broadband access and adoption remains. The Federal Communications Commission’s recent announcement of its new “advanced broadband” benchmark of 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload has ignited a renewed urgency to both meet this target and exceed those speeds in order to solidify Texas’ stance in the cutting-edge interconnected economy. The following report is designed to memorialize the efforts of Connected Texas as well as showcase examples of the thousands of stakeholders impacted by our work to date. By examining our technology past, we can better plan for our connected future. Sincerely, Tom Ferree President and COO Connected Nation Connected Texas Final Grant Report Page|2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since 2010, Connected Texas has been the “voice of broadband” in the Lone Star State. Offering a neutral perspective on broadband access, adoption, and use, Connected Texas has worked closely with communities, providers, government officials, and anchor institutions to accelerate technology in the state. Connected Texas served as the state’s designated entity for broadband mapping, research, technical assistance, and local technology planning. The following report summarizes advances made in broadband access, adoption, and use over the past five years, as well as outstanding challenges and opportunities for continued growth to ensure that all Texas communities, residents, institutions, and businesses are connected to twenty-first century technology and equipped with the skills and support to utilize it to its fullest. According to Connected Texas’ broadband maps, the state continued strong growth in broadband infrastructure and deployment, as well as increased competition among the higher broadband speed tiers over the last five years. Despite progress, significant connectivity gaps persist in the state, particularly in the state’s rural areas. While expanding broadband access to these areas is important, without corresponding broadband adoption among Texas’ consumers and businesses, further investment and build-out could be deterred. To provide information on the people, businesses, and communities that are taking advantage – and more importantly, not yet taking advantage – of the expansive opportunities provided through broadband, Connected Texas conducts annual statewide residential and business broadband surveys. In Connected Texas’ 2014 Residential Technology Assessment, these surveys revealed that 74% of Texans have adopted broadband at home, and 80% of businesses in the state utilize broadband. Yet, with nearly 5 million adults and 105,000 businesses statewide still without broadband, there remains much to do. Within individual communities, Connected Texas facilitated broadband and technology outreach, education, and dissemination through its Connected Community Engagement Program (“Connected”). The Connected program coalesces and trains regional leaders and forms community broadband planning teams to assess the local technology landscape. Each community is then provided a step-by- step action plan to meet their local technology needs. Since 2011, twenty-nine Texas communities have successfully completed local technology assessments and received technology action plans through this program. Connected teams are working to address a wide variety of technology-related issues across community sectors. From addressing rural infrastructure gaps, improving the online presence and use of technology among businesses, or expanding tele-health opportunities at rural institutions, to expanding e-government services, hosting local technology summits, or developing, implementing, and support one-to-one device programs and connectivity for schools, the Connected program offers a direct intervention for accelerating the access, adoption, and use of technology across Texas. Connected Texas Final Grant Report Page|3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the President ............................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Broadband Access in Texas ............................................................................................................. 7 Mapping ....................................................................................................................................... 7 The Broadband Availability Gap in Texas ................................................................................ 9 Connect America Fund Implications for Texas ..................................................................... 13 Validation .............................................................................................................................. 14 Broadband Adoption in Texas ....................................................................................................... 17 Trends in Broadband Adoption Among Texas Homes and Businesses ..................................... 17 Residential Broadband Trends .............................................................................................. 17 Business Broadband Trends .................................................................................................. 18 Topical Reports ..................................................................................................................... 18 Texas’ Broadband Conference ................................................................................................... 21 Connected Community Engagement Program ............................................................................. 24 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 30 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Appendix 1: Provider’s Engaged by Connected Texas ................................................................. 32 Appendix 2: My ConnectViewTM Interactive Map Screenshot Example ....................................... 38 Appendix 3: Connected Texas Maps ............................................................................................. 39 Appendix 4: Rural Broadband Experiments in Texas .................................................................... 53 Appendix 5: Engineering & Technical Services Field Validation Techniques ................................ 55 Appendix 6: Residential Survey Methodology .............................................................................. 66 Appendix 7: Logistic Regression Model for Home Broadband Adoption ..................................... 68 Appendix 8: Connected Community Engagement Program Process ........................................... 70 Appendix 9: FCC Broadband Availability, 2015 FCC Broadband Program Progress Report ......... 78 Appendix 10: FCC Announces Provisional Winners in RBE Auction ............................................. 80 Appendix 11: Research Reports .................................................................................................... 83 Connected Texas Final Grant Report Page|4 BACKGROUND Since 2010, Connected Texas, under the direction of Committee Report to the 83rd Legislature, the state, has served as the broadband resource specifically pages 9 and 10. H.B. 1926, later signed providing information, insight, and expertise to into law, required the Texas Education Agency to various stakeholders throughout the state. Support conduct a thorough statewide assessment of provided to stakeholders has varied based on the broadband availability to all K-12 facilities by the end specific stakeholder group and need, but Connected of year 2015. Texas has been able to share its resources and expertise in an effort to improve the broadband In September 2013, the program manager landscape across the state. The number of participated in