Press Release

From Governor Mark Parkinson's Office:

Task force to support Connect Kansas broadband initiative

To provide faster and more reliable Internet services to rural Kansans, Governor Mark Parkinson has established the Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force. The 24-member advisory group will help implement the state’s Connect Kansas broadband Internet initiative.

“Access to broadband services is essential in supporting our communities and furthering economic development,” said Parkinson. “Whether you’re searching for a job, looking to enhance your education or accessing healthcare technologies, broadband is becoming the standard of Internet communications nationwide. I am pleased to form this task force that will help bring broadband access to all corners of Kansas and enhance economic opportunities for our state.”

The Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force will develop recommendations to support statewide availability and adoption of broadband services consistent with the 2010 National Broadband Plan. The task force will coordinate input from key stakeholders in the public and private sectors to ensure Kansas has a competitive advantage through a robust and growing digital economy.

The administration has been committed to expanding broadband access across Kansas prior to the formation of the task force, which is the latest development for the Connect Kansas initiative. Connect Kansas is funded primarily by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has invested $7.2 billion to help states expand broadband access to underserved communities. Thus far, the Recovery Act has awarded approximately $174 million in grants and loans to expand broadband Internet infrastructure in Kansas.

Connect Kansas is mapping the state’s existing high-speed Internet availability and creating a strategy for broadband infrastructure improvements. The broadband initiative is also helping Kansas organizations apply for federal awards to undertake broadband expansion and adoption projects. The Kansas mapping tool, Broadband Stat, is near completion and will be launched in next few weeks.

The governor will appoint the Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force chairperson and vice chairperson for the first year. Subsequently, task force members will elect their own chairperson and vice chairperson.

Members of the task force are as follows:

• Dan Yunk, a representative for agriculture and rural development;
• Randall Allen, a representative for Kansas counties;
• J.D. Lester, a representative for small cities;
• Jessica Frye, a representative for public safety;
• Steve Davis, a representative for rural telecommunications consortia;
• Two representatives for different broadband technology platforms: Jay Allbaugh and Cindy Swoboda;
• Two representatives for economic development: Gabe Schlickau and Stan Ahlerich;
• Brad Williams, a representative for education;
• Jennifer Findley, a representative for health care;
• Joe Hennes, a representative for government public interface;
• Joanne Budler, a representative for libraries and public access;
• Guy McDonald, a representative for regulatory affairs;
• David Rosenthal, a representative for digital accessibility; and
• Bill Roth, a representative for inter-agency technology integration.

Dan Yunk, Manhattan, is the chief executive officer for the Kansas Farm Bureau and a past superintendent of Manhattan-Ogden USD 383. Yunk received his bachelor’s and master’s in secondary education, as well as his doctorate in educational administration from Kansas State University.

Randall Allen, Topeka, is the executive director for the Kansas Association of Counties. As executive director, Allen helps to uphold the association’s mission of advancing public interest by providing representation, education and leadership to Kansas counties. Beyond his administrative duties, Allen works as an advocate and representative for the interests of counties located both within and outside the state.

J.D. Lester, Chanute, is the city manager for Chanute, Kansas. Lester formally worked as a city administrator for Hermann, Missouri and with a statewide Missouri organization representing member utilities for legislative and regulatory issues. He has also previously worked as the marketing and public relations director for a local utility company in Crawfordville, Indiana.

Jessica Frye, Topeka, serves as the geographic information system (GIS) coordinator for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office. Frye also serves on the North Central Region Homeland Security Support Team.

Steve Davis, Topeka, is the president of SC Telcom in Kansas. He also serves as the chair of the State Independent Telephone Association (SITA) which establishes partnerships between rural telephone companies and ensures quality telephone service throughout the State of Kansas.

Jay Allbaugh, Wichita, is the vice president of governmental affairs at Cox Communications, the third-largest cable entertainment and broadband services provider in the country.

Cindy Swoboda, Topeka, is the manager of regulatory relations at AT&T, the largest communications holding company by revenue in the United States and worldwide.

Gabe Schlickau, Wichita, is currently an economic development manager at Black Hills Energy. Schlickau serves on the board of directors of the Kansas Economic Development Alliance and was a past president of the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance. He attained his bachelor’s in animal science and industry from Kansas State University.

Stan Ahlerich, Topeka, is the president of Kansas, Inc., a public-private partnership that conducts evaluation reviews and provides oversight of economic development programs to benchmark economic development efforts in the State of Kansas. Ahlerich is also a past president of the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Brad Williams, Topeka, helps facilitate statewide technology solutions for higher education institutions, hospitals, and K-12 schools as the executive director for Kan-ed. In addition, Williams is the chief information officer for the Kansas Board of Regents. He received his bachelor’s and master’s in psychology from Pittsburg State University.

Jennifer Findley, Topeka, is the director of education at the Kansas Hospital Association. She is also a liaison to the Kansas Healthcare Education Council and the Kansas Association of Medical Staff Services. Additionally, Findley is a member of the Kan-ed User Advisory Council and the Kansas Digital Learning Advisory Board. She attained her bachelor’s in political science and speech communication from Wichita State University and earned a training and development certificate from the College of Business Administration at Southwest Missouri State University.

Joe Hennes, Topeka, currently serves as chief information technology officer (CITO) for the Executive Branch of Kansas state government. In 2009, Hennes was named as director of the Division of Information Systems and Communications. He is also a member of the Kansas Partnership for Accessible Technology.

Joanne Budler, Topeka, has been the Kansas State Librarian since January 2010. Previously, Budler was the Ohio State Librarian. She holds a master’s in library science and a master’s of fine arts in Writers’ Workshop, both from the University of Iowa.

Guy McDonald, Topeka, works as a senior telecommunications analyst for the Kansas Corporation Commission.

David Rosenthal, Topeka, currently serves as president of the Kansas Telecommunications Industry Association (KTIA), an organization aimed to represent and advocate for the interests of telecommunication companies and the public they serve. Prior to his employment with KTIA, Rosenthal worked for Southwestern Bell for 17 years.

Bill Roth, Topeka, is the chief information technology architect for the State of Kansas and the secretary to the Information Technology Executive Council. Roth also serves as a member of the Kansas Partnership for Accessible Technologies where he helps to address web and information technology accessibility issues and provides related policy, standards, guidelines and procedural recommendations.

Also appointed to the Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force are Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty and Secretary of Commerce Bill Thornton as ex-officio, non-voting members. Four members of the legislature will be appointed ex-officio, non-voting members as well, one appointed by the Speaker of the House, one appointed by the President of the Senate, one appointed by the Minority Leader of the House, and one appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

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Governor Parkinson created the Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force through Executive Order 10-08. To view the full executive order, please visit: http://governor.ks.gov/issues-a-initiatives/executive-orders.

For more information on Connect Kansas, please visit http://www.connectkansas.org/.

Colorado-based Level 3 EON and Oklahoma-based Totah Communications have been awarded a combined $9,510,865 in federal Recovery Act funds for broadband Internet infrastructure improvements in south-central and southeast Kansas.

Level 3 EON was awarded $998,400 in federal funding for its proposed Expanding Broadband Access Across Kansas project, which will build four new access points on Level 3’s existing broadband network to enable last-mile providers to offer affordable high-speed services to underserved areas near Wichita and along the Kansas-Missouri border. The project could enhance broadband capabilities for as many as 50,000 households, 3,600 businesses and 150 community anchor institutions, including schools, government agencies and healthcare providers.

Totah Communications was awarded $8,512,465 in federal grants and loans for its proposed Totah Broadband Expansion Project, which will upgrade existing copper-fed DSL nodes to fiber-fed DSL nodes and install additional fiber-fed DSL nodes throughout northeastern Oklahoma and southeast Kansas. The project would mean 60 jobs saved and/or created and improved Internet access to 800 new customers.

The Level 3 EON award comes from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration as part of the Recovery Act. BTOP provides grants to various organizations ─ such as providers, nonprofits, government entities, educational institutions, libraries and hospitals ─ to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects to expand the economy, create jobs and improve citizens’ access to education and healthcare services.

The Totah Communications award comes from the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service as part of the Recovery Act. BIP makes loans and grants primarily to Internet service providers for rural broadband infrastructure projects.

“We’re excited that Level 3 EON and Totah Communications have been awarded this Recovery Act funding to expand high-speed Internet in Kansas,” said Kansas Secretary of Commerce Bill Thornton. “Through projects like this, we’ll continue to foster economic growth and sustainability in our rural communities while also increasing the overall quality-of-life for our rural citizens.”

The awards mark the latest successes for the Connect Kansas initiative, which was unveiled last year by the Kansas Department of Commerce to map the state’s existing Internet capabilities, create a strategy for broadband infrastructure improvements and help Kansas organizations apply for federal Recovery Act funding. Connect Kansas is funded by the Recovery Act, which has designated more than $7.2 billion for states to increase rural high-speed Internet access through the BTOP and BIP programs. Earlier this year, Kansas-based Rural Telephone Service Co. was awarded more than $101 million through the BIP program.

For details on the Connect Kansas initiative or to learn how organizations can apply for federal funds, visit www.ConnectKansas.org.

Company Profiles
Level 3 EON is a subsidiary of Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT), a Broomfield, Colo.-based Internet backbone carrier. Level 3 is a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with an industry-leading combination of scalability and value over an end-to-end fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice. The company also operates one of the largest Internet backbones in the world with 54,000 intercity and 27,000 metro route miles spanning more than 190 markets in 22 countries. For more information, contact Kimberly Greene at Kimberly.Greene@Level3.com

Totah Communications is a local communications provider in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma offering telephone services, including long-distance, and high-speed Internet. Totah has approximately 3,000 voice service subscribers and more than 1,100 DSL subscribers in rural Oklahoma and Kansas. All of Totah’s service area is rural, sparsely populated with a population density of less than two people per square mile. For more information, contact Keith Watson at kewatson@totelcsi.com.

For details about Connect Kansas and broadband efforts in Kansas, contact Joe Monaco, Public Information Officer with the Kansas Department of Commerce, at (785) 296-3760 or jmonaco@kansascommerce.com.

View BTOP funding press release

TOPEKA ─Lt. Governor Troy Findley and Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary Bill Thornton hosted a news conference today to unveil Kansas’ $2 million federal grant for the Connect Kansas rural broadband initiative.

Lt. Governor Findley and Commerce Secretary Thornton provided details of the grant, which will fund broadband mapping and planning through the Connect Kansas initiative. The grant was announced Nov. 30 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Informatio n Administration.

The award will help Kansas collect data and develop a detailed map of the state’s existing broadband infrastructure. The map will be a crucial tool for businesses, consumers and policymakers involved in the Connect Kansas initiative to increase high-speed Internet access in rural Kansas.

“This is an exciting day for the state, especially for rural Kansas communities that don’t yet have access to high-speed Internet,” Lt. Governor Findley said. “This grant enables us to advance the Connect Kansas initiative and increase the availability of broadband Internet in rural communities. For rural Kansans, this means economic growth through e-commerce, enhanced services through e-government and improvements to overall quality of life.”

Connect Kansas is a Kansas Department of Commerce initiative to increase high-speed Internet access in the state’s underserved rural areas. The initiative has two components: 1) mapping Kansas’ broadband capacity, as well as related planning; and 2) providing federal grants and loans to organizations involved in expanding broadband to rural areas. Today’s announcement concerns only the mapping and planning component.

Kansas matched the grant with $185,000 from the Information Network of Kansas and $15,000 from Kansas Farm Bureau. The state has contracted with Connected Nation, a nationally recognized non-profit specializing in broadband issues and technology, to help with mapping and planning.

Kansas is one of 21 states since October to receive Recovery Act funding through the NTIA for mapping initiatives. NTIA expects to continue announcing awards on a rolling basis throughout the fall. Data from the states’ individual maps will ultimately be displayed in NTIA’s national broadband map.

Kansas businesses, organizations, Internet service providers and citizens are asked to contribute to the mapping process by visiting http://www.connectkansas.org/ and providing information about broadband access in their areas.

“We are pleased to be working with the Department of Commerce and the Governor’s Office to help create a comprehensive broadband map in the state of Kansas,” said Brian R. Mefford, Connected Nation’s chief executive officer.

“We applaud NTIA for working diligently to create a national broadband map and are honored to have been selected to help Kansas in its efforts to close the digital divide in the state.”

For details, visit www.KansasCommerce.com/ConnectKansas or contact Joe Monaco, Public Information Officer with the Kansas Department of Commerce, at (785) 296-3760 or jmonaco@kansascommerce.com.

Recovery Act funding to lay groundwork for increased high-speed Internet in rural Kansas; Lt. Governor Findley, Commerce Secretary Thornton to host news conference Dec. 7 in Topeka

Kansas has been awarded a $2 million matching grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to fund broadband mapping and planning through the Connect Kansas initiative.

The award will help Kansas collect data and develop a detailed map of the state’s existing broadband infrastructure. The map will be a crucial tool for businesses, consumers and policymakers involved in the Connect Kansas initiative to increase high-speed Internet access in rural Kansas.

“High-speed Internet is crucial to our economy, our ability to serve citizens and our overall quality of life,” Governor Mark Parkinson said. “We look forward to utilizing these Recovery Act funds to advance the Connect Kansas initiative and better serve our rural communities.”

Connect Kansas is a Kansas Department of Commerce initiative to increase high-speed Internet access in the state’s underserved rural areas. The initiative is funded primarily by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and has two components: 1) mapping Kansas’ broadband capacity, as well as related planning; and 2) providing federal grants and loans to qualified organizations involved in expanding broadband to rural areas. Today’s announcement concerns only the mapping and planning component.

The mapping component is made possible by a $185,000 contribution from the Information Network of Kansas and $15,000 from Kansas Farm Bureau. The state has contracted with Connected Nation, a national leader in broadband issues and technology, to help with mapping and planning.

“Rural Kansas remains a crucial to our state’s economy and heritage,” said Carole Jordan, Rural Development Division Director for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “We’re excited to move forward with the Connect Kansas initiative and increase broadband access in rural Kansas, which will benefit our state economy, create new Kansas jobs and help us fulfill the mission of the federal Recovery Act.”

Kansas businesses, organizations, Internet service providers and citizens are asked to contribute to the mapping process by visiting www.connectkansas.org and providing information about broadband access in their areas.

“Now that we’ve received federal funding for the mapping process, it’s crucial that Kansas businesses, organizations and everyday citizens provide us data about Internet connectivity in their regions,” Jordan said. “By doing so, they’ll help us create a more complete map, which will allow us to achieve better results throughout rural Kansas.”

Kansas is one of 21 states since October to receive Recovery Act funding through the NTIA for state-level mapping initiatives. NTIA expects to continue announcing awards on a rolling basis throughout the fall. Data from the states’ individual maps will ultimately be displayed in NTIA’s national broadband map.

“We are pleased to be working with the Department of Commerce and the Governor’s Office to help create a comprehensive broadband map in the state of Kansas,” said Brian R. Mefford, Connected Nation’s chief executive officer. “We applaud NTIA for working diligently to create a national broadband map and are honored to have been selected to help Kansas in its efforts to close the digital divide in the state.”

NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR DEC. 7 IN TOPEKA

The Kansas Department of Commerce will celebrate today’s announcement with a news conference hosted by Lt. Governor Troy Findley and Kansas Commerce Secretary Bill Thornton on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. in the auditorium of Memorial Hall in Topeka. All media, Internet service providers, organizations and citizens are invited to attend.

Download press release here.

The Kansas Department of Commerce has recommended 22 state broadband projects for Recovery Act funding through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), officials announced today.

Governor Mark Parkinson submitted the recommended projects to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is implementing BTOP as part of the Recovery Act. BTOP is a $4.9 billion federal grant program designed to increase high-speed Internet access in rural areas and stimulate state economies.

NTIA is expected to announce funded BTOP projects by the end of the year.

“We’re excited to recommend these 22 applications to the NTIA, and we’re optimistic that many of them will be awarded funding,” said Carole Jordan, Rural Development Division Director for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “All of them show great potential for increasing broadband access to rural Kansas, which will benefit our state economy, create new Kansas jobs and help us fulfill the mission of the federal Recovery Act.”

BTOP will provide grants to organizations such as non-profits, government entities, educational institutions, libraries and hospitals to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects.

Per BTOP requirements, the Kansas Department of Commerce was required to screen applicants and then submit a list of recommended projects to the NTIA. Applicants were evaluated on how well they matched state priorities, including service to unserved rural populations and projects that focused on telemedicine, distance learning, economic development and/or e-government.

The Department received 85 applications, which were reviewed by an eight-member interagency committee. The lack of a state recommendation does not preclude an applicant from being funded by NTIA.

A second round of BTOP funding will open in late 2009 or early 2010. Kansas will follow a similar rating process.

BTOP is one of two federal programs enacted in July to increase high-speed Internet in rural areas. The other program is the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), which provides loans and grants primarily to Internet service providers for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas.

To help administer and promote BTOP and BIP, the Kansas Department of Commerce in July launched the Connect Kansas Initiative. For details, visit KansasCommerce.com.

For more information, contact Joe Monaco, Public Information Officer with the Kansas Department of Commerce, at (785) 296-3760 or jmonaco@kansascommerce.com.

Washington, DC - Connected Nation, today, using ArcGIS technology in partnership with ESRI, will release statewide maps of rural and remote areas in sevent states to support applications for broadband infastructure funds now available through the American recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Connected Nation will also release Census Block-level broadband data, both in downloadable form and through an interactive online mapping tool, for the state of Minnesota.

Link to Press Release

TOPEKA ─ The Kansas Department of Commerce today launched Connect Kansas, a new initiative designed to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Kansas.

The initiative, which seeks to be funded primarily by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, comprises two key components: mapping Kansas’ current broadband capacity; and providing federal grants and loans to qualified organizations involved in expanding broadband to rural areas.

The initial mapping is funded by a major grant from the Information Network of Kansas and assistance from Kansas Farm Bureau. The grants and loans come from the U.S. departments of Commerce and Agriculture as part of the 2009 stimulus plan. The Kansas Department of Commerce, in conjunction with a team of cooperating state agencies, is leading the Connect Kansas initiative.

Mapping
The first component of Connect Kansas is the mapping of the state's current broadband capacity. Internet service providers, businesses and citizens are asked to visit http://www.connectkansas.org/ to contribute data to the mapping process. Kansans can also visit the site to test their connection speed and learn about broadband in their area. Updated maps will be available on the site as data are submitted. The site and its maps are being maintained by Connected Nation, a national nonprofit that specializes in broadband and related technologies.

Federal Grants and Loans
Kansas organizations and Internet service providers are invited to apply for federal funding intended to improve broadband Internet access in rural areas. The funding is available through two federal programs:

• Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service, BIP will make loans and grants primarily to Internet service providers for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas.
• Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications Information Administration, BTOP will provide grants to various organizations ─ such non-profits, educational institutions, libraries and hospitals ─ to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects.