State Broadband Capacity Building:

This project will provide support to the Alaska Broadband Task Force as it seeks to both formalize a strategic broadband plan for the state of Alaska and coordinate broadband activities across relevant agencies and organizations.

Technical Assistance:

This project will undertake research and benchmarking activities on broadband needs, usage, and barriers in local communities and also measure the impact of broadband implementation over time. Connected Nation will also provide training to the Alaska Regional Development Organizations (ARDORs) as they incorporate broadband planning into their ongoing responsibilities.

Application Usage and Development:

This project will conduct an assessment on the availability and quality of e-government applications. The final report will identify deficiencies and opportunities for improvement, particularly among remote and rural populations. The Alaska Broadband Task Force will use these findings to determine how to fund innovative e-government and web 2.0 applications via a sub-grant process that will make government services and data more readily available to Alaska’s communities.

Data Collection, Integration, and Validation:

This project was originally funded for broadband planning activities and two years of data collection. In September of 2010, this project was amended to extend data collection activities for an additional three years and to identify and implement best practices.