[Imc-events] Models for Building Local Broadband - 9/19 4:30pm - Urbana City Hall

[Alex Cline]

*Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center presents:*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Models for Building Local Broadband:*
*Public, Private, Coop, Nonprofit*
Wed, Sept. 19th - 4:30pm CST
Urbana City Council Chambers - 400 S. Vine St.
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Free event open to the public.
*Watch live <http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ucimc>.*

*Presenters:*
*Chris Mitchell<http://www.ilsr.org/about-the-institute-for-local-self-reliance/staff-and-board/christopher-mitchell/>
,* Institute for Local Self Reliance (expert in municipal broadband)
*Joanne Hovis <http://www.ctcnet.us/who-we-are.html>,* CTC Technology &
Energy (public interest telecom expert)
*Wally Bowen* <http://main.nc.us/about/wally_bowen.shtml>, Mountain Area
Information Network (non-profit internet provider)
*
*
*Facilitator:*
*Brandon Bowersox-Johnson*, Chair, UC2B Policy Committee, City Council
Member, Urbana IMC member


Urbana-Champaign in Illinois is completing construction of a public system
- called UC2B <http://uc2b.net/> - that will connect 10% of the community
with fast broadband they can use to access the internet, share videos, make
phone calls and more.  The project was made possible by federal funds.

*How do we connect the other 90% of our community to fast broadband? *
***With what funds?  Who will control it? *
*How can these models support digital inclusion for minority and low income
users?*

Urbana IMC has gathered some of the top experts in the field of community
broadband to join in a discussion of these questions. During this forum,
which will be webcast nationally, we will explore public, public-private,
non profit, and cooperative models for building out broadband.

We will discuss the benefits and challenges of each model to inform our
community's upcoming decision about building out the rest of the UC2B
network. Champaign-Urbana recently applied to build out the network with
Gigabit Squared in a public-private partnership where the network is owned
by a private company and the public sets the terms of use. The community
is also exploring municipal and co-op models and has a request for
proposals<http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2012-08-17/big-broadband-seeking-information-building-out-network.html>
to
seek other partners and solutions.

For more information contact: Danielle Chynoweth, UCIMC board member, at
chyn at ucimc.org.

*NOTE:** **This event follows on **Our Knowledge Our Power: Making
Broadband Work for All of Us*
<http://www.digitaldeadend.com/events.html>* workshop
at Douglas Center Sat, Sept 15 10am - noon. (RSVP to **Sharon
Irish*<slirish at illinois.edu>
*)*

-----
The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center <http://www.ucimc.org/> uses
media production and distribution as tools for promoting social and
economic justice. UCIMC provided intensive support for our community's
successful bid for federal broadband funds is a anchor in the Media Action
Grassroots Network <http://www.mag-net.org/> (MAGNet).

Thanks,

Alex Cline
Venue Coordinator
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
202 S. Broadway #100
Urbana IL, 61801
http://www.ucimc.org
o: 217.344.8820
m: 217.550.1472
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