MoBroadbandNow

Broadband Buzz

Revised Service and Speed Maps Now Posted

Every six months, MoBroadbandNow publishes new speed and service maps based on data collected from over 110 participating Internet Service Providers across the state.  Maps are published for both the state and regional levels.  Service maps show the number of providers serving an area in shades of blue (darker illustrates more providers, while lighter illustrates fewer), while high speed maps show where service is available at speeds of greater than 3mpbs download/1.5mpbs upload (blue), less than 3mpbs download/1.5mbps upload (yellow) and where speed data is unavailable (red).  The maps include data from both wired and wireless providers.

MoBroadbandNow’s mapping efforts also include an Interactive Mapping tool, which allows you to enter your address and identify providers in your area, as well as to add layers, including service availability and technology type.

To learn more about MoBroadbandNow’s mapping and data collection or, if you are an ISP that is not currently participating, to get involved, visit our FAQ page.

Broadband telemedicine summit set to go for May 20

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Hosted by: Broadband Illinois, www.broadbandillinois.org and MoBroadbandNow, www.mobroadbandnow.com

Moderator and Presenter:  Ron Emerson, Global Director of Healthcare, Polycom

Conference Speakers Include: 

• Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon are scheduled to attend
• Curtis Lowery, MD, Angels Network in Arkansas – KEYNOTE SPEAKER
• Jon Linkous, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Telemedicine Association
• Ed Simcox, Director, AT&T ForHealth Solutions and Telehealth Strategy
• Matthew Wenzel, Chief Executive Officer, Headrick Medical Center, St. Luke’s Health System
• Thomas Hale, MD, Executive Medical Director, Mercy Telehealth Services
•  Kathy Chorba, Executive Director, California Telehealth Network
• Rachel Mutrux, Executive Director, Missouri Telehealth Network
•  Pat Schou, Executive Director, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network

Live telemedicine presentations and demonstrations from Microsoft, InTouch and others.

USDA Announces New Rules for Community Connect Grant Program

USDA Rural Development’s Community Connect Grant program is designed to help connect the most underserved rural communities in the country.  To help better meet this goal, USDA has announced new rules for the program, which include allowing areas that are not census designated places or defined in a commercial atlas (often the most rural) to apply for funding.  Other changes include:

• A simplified application process
• More flexibility in resources and in-kind contributions that can be used to meet the match requirement
• Priority in USDA application evaluation to persistent poverty counties, communities experiencing population loss, and the most rural areas of the country.

To learn more about Community Connect and the new program rules, click here.

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