Broadband Recommendations Prepared for Washington County, Maryland JULY, 2013 DESIGN NINE we build networks that perform Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Next Steps ..........................................................................................................................................................6 National and International Trends 8 Defined: the Web, Internet, & Broadband ....................................................................................................8 Who isn’t online? ..............................................................................................................................................9 What happens in just one day on the Internet? .........................................................................................9 Existing Conditions .........................................................................................................................................10 Next Generation Connectivity ....................................................................................................................11 Significance of Big Bandwidth for the Future ............................................................................................12 Prosperity ...................................................................................................................................................................12 Health Care Delivery ...............................................................................................................................................12 Government and Civic Life ....................................................................................................................................12 Education ....................................................................................................................................................................13 The Big Broadband Challenge 14 What is Broadband? .......................................................................................................................................14 Use Trends and Service Needs Analysis .....................................................................................................16 First Mile Connectivity Options 20 Telephone/DSL .................................................................................................................................................20 Cable Systems ..................................................................................................................................................20 Satellite ..............................................................................................................................................................21 BPL .....................................................................................................................................................................22 Fiber ...................................................................................................................................................................22 The Wireless Broadband Debate ................................................................................................................23 Wireless Technology Trends and Issues ......................................................................................................24 Fixed Point Access Wireless .........................................................................................................................26 Mobile Access Wireless .................................................................................................................................26 Case Studies of Other Communities 28 Rockbridge Area Network Authority .........................................................................................................28 Danville ..............................................................................................................................................................29 Lafayette, Louisiana .........................................................................................................................................30 The Wired Road ..............................................................................................................................................31 Accomack/Northampton Broadband Authority ......................................................................................32 Farmers Telecom Coop .................................................................................................................................33 Palm Coast, Florida .........................................................................................................................................34 Powell, Wyoming .............................................................................................................................................34 Network Business Model Options 36 Private Sector Only ........................................................................................................................................36 Municipal Retail ...............................................................................................................................................36 Municipal Wholesale .......................................................................................................................................37 Open Access Infrastructure ..........................................................................................................................37 Multi-Service Network ..................................................................................................................................38 Broadband Network Architecture 41 Core Network .................................................................................................................................................41 1 Distribution Network ....................................................................................................................................41 Access Network .......................................................................................................................................................41 Colocation Facilities .................................................................................................................................................43 Backhaul ......................................................................................................................................................................43 Technical Design ..............................................................................................................................................44 Current Service Provider Offerings 46 Comcast ......................................................................................................................................................................46 Verizon ........................................................................................................................................................................46 Lumos ..........................................................................................................................................................................47 Antietam Cable .........................................................................................................................................................47 Zayo ............................................................................................................................................................................47 Level3 ..........................................................................................................................................................................48 Intellifiber ...................................................................................................................................................................48 Broadband Adoption and Education Strategies 49 Broadband Adoption County Comparison ...............................................................................................49 Internet Usage ...........................................................................................................................................................49 Internet Connection Type .......................................................................................................................................50 Internet Service Provider .......................................................................................................................................50 Internet Use and Applications ...............................................................................................................................51 Education Strategies .......................................................................................................................................52 New Job Opportunities ..........................................................................................................................................53 Education Partners and Opportunities ...............................................................................................................54 Hagerstown Community College .........................................................................................................................54