News
Public-private partnership seeks CPUC grant funding to improve Internet access and adoption in central El Dorado County
September 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Fred Pilot, fpilot@caminofiber.net
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC), the El Dorado County Office of Education and the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce have joined in a public private partnership to seek grant funding available through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to improve Internet access and adoption in central El Dorado County.
The CFNC-Central El Dorado County Regional Broadband Consortium is requesting funding from the Rural and Regional Urban Consortia Grant Account of the California Advanced Services Fund, a program administered by the CPUC to promote more widespread availability of advanced communications services for all Californians by fostering increased broadband deployment and adoption.
If the consortium is awarded funding, it will engage in a three-year project to plan the construction of fiber to the premises telecommunications infrastructure potentially serving 44,551 households and 5,252 businesses in the region and to increase awareness and adoption of the services it can provide.
The planned open access network will be owned and operated by CFNC and capable of delivering a variety of Internet-based services including high speed Internet access, voice, video content and two-way videoconferencing.
CFNC’s consumer cooperative ownership structure provides a critically needed alternative business approach to investor-owned providers who have left large unserved gaps in the region’s telecommunications infrastructure.
“As education increasingly moves toward digital textbooks and online content, it’s critical students and their parents have access to broadband Internet that has the capacity to deliver these materials,” said EDCOE Superintendent Vicki Barber.
“Too many central El Dorado County families live in homes that lack decent and affordable Internet access,” Barber noted. “The children living in those homes are educationally disadvantaged compared to kids elsewhere in the state and the nation who have modern Internet access.”
Adequate Internet telecommunications infrastructure is also essential to the county’s economic vitality as the local economy recovers from the economic downturn.
“We are very interested in improving the county’s outdated telecommunications infrastructure from an economic development perspective,” said Laurel Brent-Bumb, CEO of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce. “Many of our members are small, home-based businesses who find it very challenging to obtain adequate Internet access.”
CFNC President Fred Pilot, who coordinated the formation of the consortium and its grant application to the CPUC, is optimistic the consortium’s proposed project will be funded.
“The consortium’s proposal squarely addresses all three elements of the grant criteria of promoting broadband deployment, access and adoption and particularly deployment,” Pilot said. “Deployment of advanced telecommunications infrastructure is key and makes possible enhanced access and adoption of Internet-based services,” Pilot added.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2011
Contact:
Fred Pilot
PresidentCamino Fiber Network Cooperative
fpilot@caminofiber.net
Cooperative Urges PUC to Prioritize Community-Based Entities for Telecom Infrastructure Funding
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC), a consumer-owned telecommunications cooperative formed to construct fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications infrastructure in Central El Dorado County, urged the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to prioritize funding for community-based projects in drafting rules governing the distribution of grants and loans to speed deployment of advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
Such networks use the Internet to provide voice communications, video content and videoconferencing as well as Web content and email.
They are urgently needed to fill in numerous gaps in El Dorado County’s outdated telecommunications infrastructure that leave thousands of homes and small businesses disconnected from the Internet and modern commerce, relegated to slow and obsolete dialup connections.
CFNC also urged the CPUC to require the funding be used to support open access networks that would encourage competition among Internet service providers and afford more choice for consumers.
The cooperative’s comments were presented in a filing in the CPUC’s rulemaking proceeding to implement SB 1040, a bill expanding the scope and funding of the CPUC’s California Advanced Services Fund (CASF).
Supported by CFNC, SB 1040 was signed into law as urgency legislation in September 2010 by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Funded by a surcharge on intrastate long distance calls, the CASF was created in 2007 under legislation requiring the CPUC to administer the fund to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians that will promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies.
CFNC’s filing can be viewed at the CPUC website at http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/EFILE/CM/129884.PDF
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August 20, 2010
Statement by Fred Pilot, president, Camino Fiber Network Cooperative, on award of $46.6 million stimulus grant to the Central Valley Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure Project
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC) congratulates the Central Valley Independent Network (CVIN) on its successful application for $46.6 million in telecommunications infrastructure grant funding by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
The award is funded by the NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, formed to disburse funding for advanced telecom infrastructure expansion appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
CVIN will deploy 1,371-mile fiber optic backbone network through 18 Central Valley counties including along Highway 49 in El Dorado County. In addition to serving various public entities, the open access network could potentially serve 1.5 million households and 160,000 businesses, according to CVIN.
This important project could aid the deployment of community open access fiber networks such as planned by the Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC) by providing essential middle mile connectivity to the Internet backbone.
A consumer owned telecom cooperative, CFNC’s goal is to bring fiber connections to unserved and underserved central El Dorado County premises with the goal of “no home left behind.”
CFNC thanks the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for its support of CVIN’s application for the federal funding and recognizes the efforts of El Dorado County Economic Development Coordinator Sam Driggers and Placerville resident Carol Anne Ogdin in gaining the board’s support.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2010
Contact: Fred Pilot
President
Camino Fiber Network Cooperative
fpilot@caminofiber.net
Geoff Brim
Vice President and Treasurer
Camino Fiber Network Cooperative
geoff@caminofiber.net
Consumer telecom cooperative seeks directors, volunteers
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC), a telecommunications consumer cooperative corporation, seeks volunteers to help it fulfill its mission of providing modern Internet protocol-based telecommunications services in central El Dorado County utilizing fiber optic to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications infrastructure.
Retirees with business and telecommunications industry experience are especially encouraged to lend their knowledge and skills to this vital infrastructure project by serving as volunteer directors.
The coop also needs volunteer website design assistance.
The coop is currently conducting a survey of area residents and small business owners on their satisfaction with existing telecom services and their current and future needs.
The survey is being conducted online and is available at the CFNC Web site (http://www.caminofiber.net) by clicking on “CFNC Broadband Survey.”
In the coming months, CFNC will seek technical assistance funding to cover the cost of retaining consultants for network engineering and business planning of the project’s initial build out phase.
CFNC’s review of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) data found 11 El Dorado County census tracts encompassing Placerville and surrounding communities comprising more than 23,000 premises are underserved for broadband Internet access under CPUC and federal guidelines.
Broadband access falls sharply beyond Placerville city limits with unincorporated areas of the county continuing to lack adequate access.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, seven million U.S. homes are located outside cable company footprints or unable to subscribe to DSL due to distance limitations.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2010
Contact: Fred Pilot
fpilot@caminofiber.net
Geoff Brim
geoff@caminofiber.net
Survey Data Show El Dorado County Residents Dissatisfied with Telecom Services
Quality of service a key motivator for considering community cooperative alternative
Initial responses to the Camino Fiber Network Cooperative’s El Dorado County telecommunications service survey show most respondents are “extremely dissatisfied” with their current services.
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC), a recently formed telecommunications cooperative, is conducting the survey to gain a better understanding of local telecom services and needs in support of its mission to provide advanced, Internet protocol-based telecommunications services utilizing fiber optic to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications infrastructure in central El Dorado County.
The survey is being conducted online and is available at the CFNC Web site (http://www.caminofiber.net) by clicking on “CFNC Broadband Survey.” Eighty six percent of 53 survey respondents indicated quality of service as the main reason they would purchase services from CFNC if offered. A majority of respondents expressed interest in purchasing a package of services including Internet access, voice and video services.
“The early survey data while limited nevertheless suggest El Dorado County residents and small business owners want better options for their telecommunications needs,” said CFNC President Fred Pilot. “The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative offers a much needed alternative business model to address this vital infrastructure issue,” Pilot added.
CFNC’s review of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) data found 11 El Dorado County census tracts encompassing Placerville and surrounding communities comprising more than 23,000 premises are underserved for broadband Internet access under CPUC and federal guidelines. Broadband access falls sharply beyond Placerville city limits with unincorporated areas of the county continuing to lack adequate access.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, seven million U.S. homes are located outside cable company footprints or unable to subscribe to DSL due to distance limitations. Fifty-nine respondents to the CFNC survey indicated they have attempted to order cable or DSL but found the services were unavailable at their location.
CFNC representatives will be on hand at the annual Camino Clean Up Day sponsored by the Camino Community Action Network on Saturday, May 15. Local residents will be able to complete the survey at the event.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2010
Contact: Fred Pilot
fpilot@caminofiber.net
Cooperative invites Google to bring 1 gigabit fiber to El Dorado County
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC) is asking Google to construct innovative open access fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure to more than 23,000 premises in central El Dorado County.
CFNC, a recently formed consumer telecommunications cooperative, proposed the project in response to Google’s request for information (RFI) from local governments and communities interested in serving as locations to test deployment of ultra-high speed broadband networks capable of providing Internet connectivity of 1 gigabit per second.
“El Dorado County is an ideal locale to demonstrate fiber can be brought to all premises in a fully built out network that legacy wire line telco and cable providers cannot offer due to the limitations of their business models,” said Fred Pilot, CFNC founder and president.
“For years, too many of the region’s residents and business owners have been unable to obtain even basic Internet access from these providers. If constructed, Google’s fiber network would move them off the dial up, digital dirt road of the early 1990s and onto the Internet fast lane of tomorrow.”
The enormous capacity of Google’s fiber to the premises network would serve up Web sites instantly, offer crystal clear voice communications and high definition videoconferencing and video entertainment to the large number of El Dorado County homes and businesses that continue to struggle with obsolete dialup and costly, slow satellite Internet connections.
The network’s high bandwidth could also make possible new online services that have not yet been developed. Formed in 2009 with the goal of constructing consumer-owned and operated fiber to the premises telecom infrastructure in Camino and other parts of central El Dorado County, CFNC shares Google’s goal to construct an open access network.
Unlike the closed access wire line networks operated by legacy providers, an open access network offers consumers the choice of multiple, competing Internet service providers.
For more information and to view CFNC’s response to Google’s 1-gigabit open access fiber RFI, visit the CFNC Website at http://www.caminofiber.net.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2010
Contact: Fred Pilot
fpilot@caminofiber.net
New telecom cooperative conducting broadband survey
The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative (CFNC), a recently formed telecommunications cooperative, is conducting a consumer survey in support of its mission to provide advanced, Internet protocol-based telecommunications services in El Dorado County.
The online survey will gather detailed information on existing and desired telecommunications services and their utilization.
The survey, which requires less than 10 minutes to complete, is accessible at the CFNC Web site (http://www.caminofiber.net) by clicking on “CFNC Broadband Survey.”
CFNC’s review of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) data found 11 El Dorado County census tracts encompassing Placerville and surrounding communities comprising more than 23,000 premises are underserved for broadband Internet access under CPUC and federal guidelines.
Broadband access falls sharply beyond Placerville city limits with unincorporated areas of the county continuing to lack adequate access.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, seven million U.S. homes are located outside cable company footprints or unable to subscribe to DSL due to distance limitations.
The FCC’s National Broadband Plan released March 16 established a goal of connecting 100 million households to affordable 100-megabits-per-second service to spur economic activity and create jobs.
To help achieve that goal, CFNC plans to construct fiber optic-based telecommunications infrastructure offering a menu of services including high speed Internet, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and high definition video and teleconferencing.
“Over the past decade, residents and small business owners in El Dorado County have lacked decent options for their telecommunications needs,” said Fred Pilot, CFNC founder and president. “The Camino Fiber Network Cooperative offers a much needed alternative business model to address this vital infrastructure issue.”