I'm still pushing emails out inviting more folks today. I have received some responses and registrations.
Two of the questions that were asked and answered, were particularly good questions, so I've copied them here:
Question: "Who is promoting these various initiatives?"
Joan's answer: I haven't found hardly anyone promoting these initiatives, except the FCC and The Daily Yonder.
Question: "Who initiated the Summit in Duffield.?"
Joan's answer: It's just me, initiating the Summit in Duffield.
And so I kept searching, looking for more places online where rural folks are chatting through an exciting national dialogue right now as Connect America Phase II is being launched.
In addition, it sounds like the Appalachian Regional Commission may be providing significant funding for rural broadband deployment in their designated "distressed" counties soon. It also sounds like USDA is beefing up more and new funding for rural broadband deployment in upcoming Farm Bill funds. As a grant writer who particularly likes to prepare rural broadband deployment grants to serve Appalachian destinations, this is EXCITING to me! FCC, ARC and USDA money coming down the pike for eligible grantees in eligible areas...
I know I'm not the only one excited about upcoming rural broadband deployment funding opportunities... so where are these folks talking with one another? Here's one place that I found recently, and it made me laugh! On April 10, 2014, people will be gathered and talking about rural broadband deployment, not only in Duffield, Virginia, but also in Austin, Texas!
Want to talk about broadband? You can pay $895 to attend their full three-day (April 8 - 10, 2014) "Broadband Communities 2014 Summit," if you're willing to travel and pay lodging and all such to spend three days in Austin, Texas. The speaker line-up is a very long list of quite impressive bios. Or you can pay $475 for just one day at their conference. They do offer a one-day "rural" training track, and guess what day that is -- April 10, 2014!
What will the rural broadband folks be talking about as they gather in Austin, Texas on April 10, 2014? First, they are going to look at the big picture, and try to sum up the rural broadband status overview for each of the nation's 50 states. Then they will be discussing next steps for broadband deployment. Next, they offer a one-hour session about finding funding, which will include information about USDA and Connect America funding.
After the sessions focusing on "where are we" as a nation in broadband deployment and "where's the money" to deploy broadband, then the afternoon sessions move into "applications." In other words, you get broadband access out into rural areas, and what do folks use it for? Application examples to be presented include classrooms, libraries and promoting teleworking.
There's a 90-minute session in the afternoon that would interest me the most. One of the speakers is Mark DeFalco. He leads the Appalachian Regional Commission telecom/rural broadband programs. Two speakers in the session are from northeast Tennessee. And there's a consultant also speaking during the session. He's from Montana. Seems like I've known his name online for years and years, since back when folks were discussing rural "lone eagles." I used to read information on his and other websites about rural "lone eagles," and then I became one! Anyway, that session is focused on "Measuring Prosperity from Rural Broadband Utilization." It sounds like an interesting topic to me.
Of course, I had to just peek around to see what's happening on the music scene in Austin, Texas on April 10th. This is hilarious, to me. April 10th - 13th is the "Old Settler's Music Festival" at a big campground/pavilion area on the southern edge of Austin. Who is included in the 2014 festival line-up there in Austin, Texas? Living Legend Dr. Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys! That made me laugh. Who else is on the line-up for the "Old Settler's Music Festival" in Austin, Texas on April 10-13, 2014? The Black Lillies! Way cool! My cousin recorded one of their CDs in his studio, and it's even mentioned on the event promo page, which reports that in between gigs in 2012, "...they were in Wild Chorus Studio in their hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., working with Scott Minor of Sparklehorse to craft a beautiful ode to restless spirits and rambling hearts. Rooted in the mud-rutted switchbacks of Appalachia, 'Runaway Freeway Blues' is the sound of a band that’s becoming something of a phenomenon across the country."
Anyway, it's a small world. But I don't have to travel to Austin, Texas to see the Black Lillies. They are playing in Knoxville this weekend. And Ralph Stanley's annual festival at his old home place is next month. I live in southwest Virginia, where we have lots of wonderful live music options...
Unless you're heading to Austin, Texas for that rural broadband deployment training track on April 10th, then come on to Duffield, Virginia!
Joan
joan@appalachianresources.com
tel (276) 445-4600
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