One project involving a group of Pennsylvania universities, including Bucknell University in Lewisburg, will receive $99 million in federal stimulus dollars to develop a broadband network. A related $29 million venture will fund a similar push to expand broadband in communities north of Interstate 80.
The Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research, a coalition of Pennsylvania colleges and universities, health care organizations and economic development entities that submitted a joint application for the construction and management of the statewide broadband network.
The project, when completed, will extend nearly 1,700 miles through 39 counties, included 22 that are considered unserved or under-served based on access to affordable broadband services.
Northumberland and Union counties will have access to the service — somewhat.
Broadband will not be available in any residential homes and not at all in Snyder County, since it falls out of the area targeted by the initiative.
Yet.
“As of now this project will help with high school’s, hospitals and libraries,” said Keystone Initiatives spokeswomen Karen Ball.
“It will be a great upgrade especially for the doctor’s in the area hospitals and the general public using the public libraries.”
Ball said that even though there are no plans for residential homes to receive the broadband, there may be hope down the road.
“This is all still going to get under way,” she said.
“Eventually we hope to get it out everywhere.”
Ball said that the group did have discussion about serving residents as well.
“When and if it happens we think that the service would be through a private vendor like a Verizon, but we hope it will eventually reach homes,” she said.
She explained that one of the main hubs for the distribution of the broadband will be set up at Bucknell University.
“Bucknell University will be one of the main sources in the area,” Ball said.
University President Brian Mitchell was happy that this development would be such a significant improvement.
“We will be able to bring the world to Bucknell and take Bucknell out to the world,” he said.
“But it also equally significant that we are bringing robust broadband capacity to rural areas which historically have been left behind.”
Bucknell Chief of Staff Dave Myers and Chief Information Officer Param Bedi led an effort to secure the funding for the project and to include the university as a major partner in its implementation and as the site of one of the network’s core nodes.
The network and Bucknell’s access as a core node will significantly enhance the University’s capabilities in data-intense research, high-performance computing, video conferencing, telemedicine, Internet2,collaboration with international students and faculty, and real-time access to remote resources, said Bedi, who also is a member of the KINBER board.
In a video statement released by Bucknell, Bedi compared the new broadband network to driving on the Schuylkill Valley Expressway near Philadelphia.
“We’re going to have our own private exclusively for the educational and research institution and the commute that used to take you an hour, is now going to take five minutes,” he said.
To describe the potential of the venture, Bedi also pointed to television commercials that show students in the U.S. holding video conferences with school groups on the other side of the globe.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Francis Scarcella
Quelle/Source: The Daily Item, 19.02.2010
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