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Economic Impact of FTTH at the Household and Regional Level
Professors Brian Whitacre and Roberto Gallardo analyze the significance of fiber broadband in housing markets and regional economies. Whitacre’s study found a 1-1.5% housing price premium in areas with fiber access across Texas, Iowa, and Minnesota. This increase could potentially elevate rural housing values nationwide by $36.9 billion. Gallardo’s preliminary research in Indiana suggests that…
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The SMART Park – A Place with a Purpose
It is “a place with a purpose,” says Arell Chapman, Chief Strategy Officer of the Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC). In the above interview, Chapman is speaking about MEC’s 250 acres of developable land adjacent to the headquarters of this energy and communications company.1 The Southwest Michigan Advanced Research and Technology (SMART) Park is designed to…
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The Invisible Factory Enabled by the PRTC FTTH Network – #SRCLIVE
Description: The focus of FOCUS is economic development in the five-county area that PRTC (The People’s Fiber Network) also serves with a state-of-the-art, all-fiber optic network. Thanks to that network, PRTC is recognized as an NTCA Smart Rural Community. This southeastern Kentucky-based non-profit and cooperative communications provider, respectively, “Envision Rural”, as FOCUS’ tagline indicates. That…
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Connecting and Collaborating at SRC Live and Beyond
Video Summary “What we are trying to do here at this meeting [SRC Live] is to connect all the dots,” explains NTCA CEO, Shirley Bloomfield, in the above video. SRC Live is about communications, collaboration, and sharing best practices between NTCA Smart Community members. It is about learning how to maximize the value of the…
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An Updated Perspective on Public-Private Broadband Partnerships
Public-private broadband partnerships can be a win-win for under and unserved communities and for incumbent providers wishing to extend their service beyond their existing footprint. This is one of the conclusions from the above interview with Dave Fridley of FARR Technologies. This conversation builds on his recent presentation at the MTA’s 2022 Convention and Conference,…
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Our Purpose – To Connect Communities
“That’s our purpose; to connect communities,” says Brad Moline president and CEO of Nebraska-based Broadband Service Provider, Allo Communications. Speaking at Calix’s ConneXions 2021, Moline explains how Allo’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network is foundational for creating gigabit societies in the communities they serve. As background, Allo has grown from serving a single town in rural western…
