[CUOA-Announce] Community-Based Leaders Writing Team Meetings This Week!

[Laura Allured]

Hello All,

My name is Laura Allured, and I'm the Broadband Access Advocate for the
Independent Media Center in Urbana. I've been hired to help connect the
community to the UC2B "big broadband" project this summer. For those of you
that aren't familiar with the proposal, I've provided a description.

To start at the beginning, the ARRA set aside $7.2 billion for broadband
projects across the nation. That money has been split into two programs, and
we're applying to the one called BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program) which is being administered by NTIA (National Telecommunications
and Information Administration) for a $35-45 million grant to install a
fiber network in 'underserved' parts of town. The website for BTOP can be
reached at broadbandusa.gov.

The idea for a broadband network here in CU actually started way before the
ARRA money was allocated for broadband with Mike Smeltzer and the Broadband
Access Committee (BAC) which is under the CU Cable Television and
Telecommunications Commission. The vision is to eventually connect both the
cities and the University on one super fast broadband network. When the
federal money became available, the vision shifted a bit to concentrate on
low-income parts of the cities in order to qualify for the grant as
'underserved'.

Not only are we applying to receive money for a fiber infrastructure, but we
are also seeking funds for community technology centers (CTCs) which will
provide training and education services as well as space for computers. This
is, in part, where the Community Leaders writing team comes in. Together
with some of the other writing teams, the Community Leaders writing team
will give recommendations and input for the actual grant writers to use in
the writing process.

In order to get the most input from as many different
communityorganizations as possible, we are providing two options for
meetings. We
will have one tomorrow evening (July 21st) from 6-7pm in the conference room
at the Douglass Library (504 E. Grove St.). We will also have one on
Thursday (July 23rd) from 6-7pm at the Illinois Extension Office (801 N.
Country Fair Dr.).

I hope to see you all there!

-- 
Laura Allured, Broadband Access Advocate
Independent Media Center
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign--LAS
French Commercial Studies, Informatics
President SSDP at UIUC
"What a long, strange trip it's been!"
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