Feds announce second round of broadband stimulus funding

By now, the city’s Division of Technology must think the federal government is playing games.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the U.S. Rural Utilities Service announced Friday a second round of federal broadband stimulus funding, PCWorld reports. The agencies, which have split the funding into two pots, will dole out $4.8 billion for broadband projects, to be awarded by September.

It’s never a bad time to try to get a piece of $4.8 billion, but the NTIA announced last week that Pennsylvania received funding for broadband research, data that could have helped local applicants strengthen their pitches, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Administration spokesperson Luc Miron told Technically Philly last week.

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Event Highlights for January 11 – 17, 2010

Excuse us Philadelphia as we talk ourselves down from the ledge after the thumping that the Cowboys put on the Eagles this weekend.

Lucky for us, we have a whole slew of tech events this week to get our mind off of football and onto our wonderful technology community. For the first time this calendar year, our calendar is packed with events.

Leading off, our city’s first 140 conference packs National Mechanics on Tuesday. Right afterwards, take the El out to Penn for philly.rb’s first meeting of the year. Then, on Wednesday, take advantage of the Free Library’s free small business workshop.

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Comcast comments could hurt city broadband stimulus plans

Another blow to Philadelphia’s bid for federal stimulus dollars to help bridge the digital divide may have come the way of a Center City skyscraper.

Comcast has filed controversial commentary that some speculate could hurt Philadelphia-based requests for broadband stimulus grants.

In a move seen elsewhere in the U.S., the Center City-based telecommunications giant submitted formal comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on three Philadelphia-based applications—each seeking a piece of $4.6 billion in broadband grants—including the infrastructure portion of the city’s Digital Philadelphia vision.

Local pundits say the move is intended to challenge Philly’s broadband proposals. Broadband activists, like Rutgers University Professor Todd Wolfson, say it is an attempt to suggest that the applications are ineligible for grants, which seek to provide money to areas “unserved” or “underserved” by broadband connectivity.

The NTIA requires that grants go to locations where the rate of broadband subscription is below 40 percent of households. Though broadband penetration is estimated to be as low as 50 percent in Philadelphia, Comcast’s actual coverage blankets higher percentages of the population.

Comcast submitted to the NTIA a summary of its coverage area and subscriber information in the Philadelphia region, Comcast spokesperson Sena Fitzmaurice tells Technically Philly.

“We would not describe it as a ‘challenge,’ we describe it as filing factual information,” she said in a telephone interview. “There was an opportunity to object, but this is just a straight description of where we provide service and where we don’t.”

Wolfson, though, says it’s about business competition. He points to a story published in October by Bloomberg, pinning Comcast Vice President David L. Cohen against proposals that undermine Comcast’s business.

“Those applications don’t qualify for funding primarily because they are applications to provide service in areas where there is already broadband service,” Cohen told the publication.

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Friday Q&A: Broadband biz strategist Craig Settles talks Digital Philadelphia future

The City of Philadelphia’s Division of Technology was handed a tremendous setback last week.

The city has been taking serious steps to move beyond Wireless Philadelphia and to develop a new plan of action to help bridge the digital divide, what the DOT calls Digital Philadelphia. In August, it submitted a broadband grant proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration—as did 2,200 other groups—with hopes of grabbing a slice of $4.7 billion being given out for broadband initiatives as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the broadband stimulus fund.

Because of the tremendous influx of applications, the NTIA turned over some of the decision-making process to state governments. Last week, the Governor’s Office offered recommendations to federal agencies promoting two dozen broadband stimulus grants, including six from the Philadelphia region, as we reported.

And to the surprise of many, the City’s $21 million dollar middle mile infrastructure project was not recommended. Its Free Library-sponsored $14 million broadband adoption program was given an honorable mention, so to speak, but the state’s recommendations certainly cast doubt on the Digital Philadelphia vision.

Anytime we have a question about municipal broadband in Philadelphia, we turn to the sage wisdom of broadband business strategist Craig Settles.

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State casts doubt on Digital Philadelphia vision

Doubts have surfaced regarding the city’s Digital Philadelphia broadband vision after the state recommended two dozen proposals for federal stimulus dollars to the federal agency responsible for dolling out $4.6 billion for broadband expansion Thursday.

Digital Philadelphia barely made the cut.

The City of Philadelphia’s $21 million proposal for middle mile infrastructure that would connect city assets and could help bridge the digital divide wasn’t recommended. The Free Library of Philadelphia’s request for $14 million for adoption programs, like an improved city-wide Web portal, received a nod as a “supported” project, an honorable mention behind 13 state projects that are “highly recommended.” A third submission under the Digital Philadelphia moniker, a $2.3 million bid from the Philadelphia Housing Authority for public computer centers, received the highly recommended nod.

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Ignite Philly 4 hosts Free Library and Mayoral cabinet officials as VGI impresses

Videogame Growth Initiative's Mike Worth gives an energetic presentation at Ignite Philly 4 | Credit: Sean Blanda

‘Let’s continue these great conversations,’ he said in so many words.

Before an intermission of Ignite Philly 4 that could have been easily overlooked, Make:Philly’s Harris Romanoff made a modest call to presenters that the Ignite series has sorely lacked: an opportunity to keep the conversations and inspiration flowing and perhaps create truly definable, actionable steps.

“Make is extending an invitation to speakers past and present to speak and to answer more questions,” Romanoff said to a crowd of more than 250 gathered in the upstairs of Johnny Brenda’s bar in Fishtown.

Though it was apparent that no one was yet booked for Make’s monthly DIY tech/hack meetings, it was a notable recommendation for Ignite, having now surpassed four sold out events since 2007.

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City of Philadelphia requests $35 million in federal broadband stimulus application

The City of Philadelphia hopes that federal agencies awarding federal broadband stimulus grants will fund $35 million to its Digital Philadelphia Broadband Initiative, according to documents published by the National Telecommunications Information Administration.

Executive summaries detailing combined applications between the Division of Technology and the Free Library of Philadelphia call for $21 million for middle mile infrastructure and $14 million for adoption programs.

“The 21st century will undoubtedly be defined by the advent of the digital age,” the Free Library’s application stated. “However, in Philadelphia 41 percent of residents do not have Internet access at home and are being left behind without the ability to connect with job opportunities, healthcare information or educational resources.”

Several other Philadelphia-based organizations, including the Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia Prison Society and the Delaware County Library System also submitted applications for stimulus funds, documents reveal.

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Will Free Library technology get dumped?

More than 800 computer terminals, 167 printers and 54 fiber broadband connections, which account for 1.3 million annual computer reservations at the Free Library of Philadelphia, could soon be covered in dust.

Red signs threatening the Oct. 2 closure of the regional library system were hard to spot as patrons checked email, printed documents and watched YouTube videos in a computer lab in the east wing of the historic Central Library on Vine Street Tuesday afternoon.

As the city awaits legislators in Harrisburg to pass House Bill 1828—which would allow the city to increase local sales tax and defer pension contributions—threats of severe city-wide budget cuts in Mayor Michael Nutter’s “Plan C” doomsday budget are more real than ever; they’re printed on placards throughout 54 Free Library branches in the city.

City services could see $700 million in cuts, including Philadelphia’s library system, which faces a $29.6 million reduction and the loss of 490 positions.

Free Library Chief Technology Officer and executive staff member Jim Pecora says that a closure could severely affect patrons who need Internet access.

“This city and state budget situation will throw us back to the stone-ages if SB 1828 isn’t passed,” he said in a candid e-mail to Technically Philly.

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Shop Talk: Specticast streams Philadelphia Orchestra performances to seniors

Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit leads The Philadelphia Orchestra. | Photo: Chris Lee/The Philadelphia Orchestra Association

For seniors living in retirement communities, getting out to attend cultural events can be a demanding task.

Mark Rupp, one of the co-founders of Rittenhouse-based Specticast, is hoping to change that.

Launched in May, Specticast broadcasts live high definition performances and speaking engagements from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Free Library directly to those communities around the country.

The company, which held its inaugural event with the Philadelphia Orchestra in June, had an overwhelming response, Rupp says.

“We’ve surveyed residents, even people that have been going [to the Philadelphia Orchestra] for years. When they see our broadcast live, it is often that the thing they enjoy the most is being up on stage with the performers,” Rupp says.

“Now they’re able to get up-close and personal and see the conductor’s face.”

According to surveys conducted in 2008, seniors rave about the service. More than 60 percent said they’d be willing to spend more than $16 dollars on a performance. Sixty-seven percent said that the event was more enjoyable than other events scheduled by the community.

They’re certainly not kicking themselves for choosing the senior market.

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Friday Q&A: Gwen Shaffer, One Web Day organizer

On September 22, Philadelphia will celebrate its first One Web Day. Maybe celebrate isn’t the right word for it—this year’s event is about digital inclusion, or the lack thereof.

Modeled after Earth Day, One Web is an international event meant to raise the public’s awareness of Web issues. No, not the Facebook redesign. We’re talking issues like estimates that 50 percent Philadelphia does not have access to the Internet.

This year, organizer Gwen Shaffer is helping bring the event to Philly for the first time. “It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact broadband can have on people’s lives,” Shaffer says. She hopes to have a week of service built around the main event, a day filled with speakers, multimedia and stories about the Net’s impact.

“We will probably collect testimonials from either people who don’t have Internet and talk about how it would change their lives, and then get stories from people about how their lives were different before they had broadband,” she says. “Put a human face on what many of us take for granted.”

The organizers need your help. Shaffer says she is confident that the City will participate with the event, but the search for volunteers, corporate sponsors and additional partners has only begun. After the jump, it’s hard not to be persuaded into lending a hand.

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