Foothills Connect: Connecting Rutherford County

Our Challenge

As the Founding Chair of the Board of Foothills Connect, I see our challenge is to rewrite the economic landscape of our county.  By connecting existing resources and adding new layers of technology we are designing a new tomorrow.  Come join our journey and let us know your thoughts.

Coming out of the mush

Rutherford County, and the country, are slogging through the transition to a new economy. It's like mush in the morning, bland, sticky and you think you'll never get through it.
Broadband development is stuck in the mush, too, in our case, the hurdles to overcome are cost, distance and that business acronym that underlies everything, ROI.
Return on investment. Quarterly financials. Shareholders. These are hallmarks of our economic system but also get in the way of long-term development. When businesses invest, they want to see their money coming back quickly. Investors like meaty quarterly financials. It means they will keep their investments right where they are ... earning money.
But what we need right now is someone, or a bunch of someones, with money to take a risk and find a way to get broadband, true broadband, to the sometimes sparsely populated and topographically challenged regions of Rutherford County.
AT&T won't do it until it will immediately begin to pay off. The county has had the good fortune of a large grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation that resulted in every public school in the county equipped with true broadband, and now emergency responders -- fire departments, rescue squads -- are also being connected and have their own, secure communication network.
That's a great start. But we need fiber everywhere.
Fiber is the path of opportunity. The Internet is only limited by people's imaginations.
Foothills Connect is showing the way with its innovative FarmFresh initiative.
The plan is to recruit a private business to use the fiber connections at the various government facilities and schools to offer a wireless option to all the homes in the county.
Why should a student whose parents chose a remote location for the family home have less opportunity than a student who lives in, say, Forest City. He or she should not experience that deprivation.
Broadband is a bridge over the mush. It's a bridge to new opportunity. It's a bridge that needs to be built in Rutherford County.

Rural Broadband Equals More Jobs

Is there any doubt? Connectivity equals economic growth. Here is more information about the results of broadband's effects on rural areas.

Facebook: Boomers are Booming

My Green Planet
Originally uploaded by msc-web.de

It's not for "kids" any more. Facebook has seen unprecedented growth especially from Baby Boomers. In the last 60 days for users over 35 the numbers have doubled. Created by Gen Y, it has now been discovered and used by the older generations. Grandchildren pictures, family snapshots, hooking up with old friends has become major competitors to news about where to meet and who is friends with whom. The numbers are amazing and I find more of my friends signing up every day! What do you think?

Location, Location, Location

Rainbow House On Clipper St.
Originally uploaded by mybluemuse aka PJ Taylor

Purchasing a house is about location and connectivity. This recent article points out how folks shun buying some homes if they don't include high-speed Internet access. It is an Associated Press article printed in the Charlotte Observer. What do you think?

We Don't Have 50 Years!

USI Wireless Access Point. South Minneapolis Pilot Project
Originally uploaded by pfhyper

50 years? It took more than 50 years for electricity to reach everyone in the United States in spite of its many benefits. The establishment of high-speed internet has vast benefits. Yet the major players are focusing on the most lucrative areas and leaving out the spaces that are harder to connect. But we don't have 50 years to become connected. The time is now to establish connectivity. About 25% of Rutherford County's homes have dial up only. It is not a function of whether someone can afford it. It is a function of geography. So communications companies are deciding who has economic development and who does not. The time is now for us to have a plan and implement it. What do you think?

Started With a Rotten Tomato

The Little Ones Understand

steal this connection
Originally uploaded by dana~2

I am still amazed in my travels that the little ones understand. I am currently sitting in a higher end hotel of a major chain. The internet access is $25 for 24 hours. I am a member of their frequent guest program. The hotels at the lower end of their brand offer internet access free of charge. This is a major reason why I stay at these cheaper hotels ... free connectivity. I am in this hotel only because the meeting I am attending is here.

The bigger airports and the more expensive hotels charge for internet access. The smaller airports and cheaper hotels provide it free of charge. Some day the bigger ones will understand what the smaller ones already know ... people need access that is free.

To continue this story ... the next afternoon I am able to access wifi at Panera Bread. It costs about $4 and includes a huge brownie and drink. Clearly they understand their customers.What do you think?

Pencil Labs

Pencil labs? We wouldn't think of such a thing ... It was a point made by former Governor Angus, King, Jr. of Maine in a keynote address to the Rutherford County Blue Ribbon 21st Century Commission inaugural meeting. A pencil can do most things a computers can do. It might take a little longer. But imagine if we confined students to just 45 minutes each day to a "pencil lab." It would be the only time they could use a pencil during the school day. So why do we limit students learning through the same allocation of computer access? What do you think?

The County Vision

Deskolicious 3.1
Originally uploaded by Glenn Wolsey

The vision remains ... Foothills Connect Board on September 16, 2008 reaffirmed their vision. Every, home, business, and location in the county will have fiber or better connectivity. We are committed to seeing that the important first step is taken ensuring that everyone has access to ultra-high speed connectivity along with free access for the slower speeds. It is essential to our current economic growth.

Now is the time to be fulfilling this vision. We can use your support. Please join us. What do you think?

Another Success Story ... With Connectivity

Dogwood
Originally uploaded by kiteline

A rural nursery was successful then it opened its web presence. Meadowbrook Nursery's business exploded with online sales. So many orders went through on some days their host server went down. But the ironic point is the local internet provider does not run high speed connections to their business location. The nursery owners have to drive to their home to work with a high speed connection. Its another example how a lack of connectivity can hold down economic growth. What can we do to ensure everyone has opportunity for economic growth?