The BadgerNet Fiber Grant and Library Broadband Needs
Thank you to the many members and other library supporters who contacted members of the state legislature about this matter. Please see the WLA Blog posting about the successful 16-0 vote in Joint Finance to approve the use of federal funding to expand broadband to schools and libraries. The BadgerNet contract extension issue still has not been resolved, but DOA is to report to Joint Finance by September 1. We'll keep you posted about further action required, if necessary in the future.
Our key message
We respectfully request your assistance on a matter of great urgency to the Wisconsin library and school communities.
Now that the BadgerNet Fiber Grant proposal has been funded, it is time for Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) to fulfill to the commitment it has made to our libraries and schools. We urge DOA to approve a 5-year BadgerNet contract extension with the Wisconsin BadgerNet Access Alliance (WBAA*) to make this grant happen and to ensure our libraries and schools have the bandwidth they need at an affordable price.
•Libraries. 20Mbps for $100 per month. (69% of Wisconsin public libraries currently get just 1.5Mbps for the same price.)
•School and library systems. 100Mbps for $250 per month.
(*WBAA is an organization of broadband providers that includes AT&T and more than 70 local phone companies.)
WLA/WEMTA members: Please review the information presented in this background paper and write to your State Senator and Representative as soon as possible. Be sure to personalize your message with local examples of the need for and benefits of additional bandwidth in your area. In other words, describe how your legislators’ constituents will benefit from this grant.
Section 1: The Time Line
August 19, 2009. The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) submitted a $28.7 million grant application to the ARRA funded Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The goal of the grant is to bring fiber connectivity to the schools and public libraries in the state that are on the BadgerNet Converged Network (BCN) but still do not have fiber. The application totals 467 sites and includes: 74 schools or school districts; 385 public libraries; 8 higher education campuses. In the grant DOA stated that if the grant was funded libraries would get 20Mbps for $100 per month and schools and library systems would get 100Mbps for $250 per month. This information was also widely disseminated to the library and school communities.
February 18, 2010. Governor Jim Doyle and U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Dennis Hightower announced Wisconsin will invest $28.7 million to expand broadband Internet access, including $22.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The grant provides all public libraries on the BadgerNet Converged Network (BCN) with a 20Mbps circuit for $100/month and all school districts and library systems with a 100Mbps circuit for $250/month.
June 2010……….
The library and school community is still waiting for the contract extension to be approved and the grant to be implemented. There is a tremendous amount of anticipation for this project to get underway.
Section 2: The Need for Fiber Connectivity to Libraries and Schools
The problem is no longer Internet access. Rather it is having sufficient access as the demands of the medium and patrons grow rapidly. — ALA Public Library Connectivity Report (2007).
General needs
- 72% of state’s public libraries provide the only free Internet access in their communities. (82% in communities under 10,000 population.)
- 66% of Wisconsin’s public libraries report their current broadband speed is not sufficient.
Specific needs
Online magazines and newspaper |
Through DPI’s state funded BadgerLink program, all Wisconsin libraries and schools have access to over 6,000 magazines and newspapers, many in full-text. Retrieving the full-text of a magazine article that often has pictures and other graphics takes considerable bandwidth. |
Region library online catalogs |
Libraries participating in large, multi-county regional catalogs increased from 20% in 2001 to 91% in 2010. This type of resource sharing offers patrons access to collections in neighboring libraries but searches of the online catalog and other processes require significant bandwidth. For example, the circulation transactions are very time sensitive. Inadequate bandwidth causes the transactions to timeout, requiring re-transmission which causes even more bandwidth congestion. All these transactions are transported over BadgerNet circuits. |
Wireless Internet access |
Most libraries do not have enough workstations to meet demand. To help address this situation, they offer Wi-Fi access for patrons with laptops. Public libraries in Wisconsin offering this increased from 26% in 2005 to 95% in 2010. This is a very popular service but requires adequate bandwidth. |
E-government |
Many government services are now available online. For example DPI works with the state Dept. of Revenue to help patrons use the library’s Internet access to file their taxes. |
Libraries as content providers |
Libraries serve not just as passive recipients of information. Rather, they are increasingly offering their own content. For example, many libraries have photograph collections of their local community which they are digitizing and offering via the library’s website. Libraries hosting their own websites require substantial bandwidth. |
Web 2.0 |
Web 2.0 describes the evolving web environment where sites have moved beyond basic text information to offer graphics and video. For example, if just two patrons are watching high resolution YouTube videos the library’s 1.5Mbps bandwidth will be completely used. |
More information on the grant is on the DPI website at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/arrabbfunding.html