When it comes to internet service, rural communities feel neglected and left behind. The SHLB Coalition has put together a webinar to discuss the various solutions to bring rural communities up to speed. SHLB (Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband) Coalition is a non-profit advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-capacity broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. It is based in Washington, DC and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations who work together to develop and support policies to improve broadband connectivity throughout the U.S. – urban, suburban, and especially rural – which they believe is a cost-efficient and vitally important investment in our nation’s future.
Mark O’Connor, Senior VP at Carlson Wireless, had the distinct opportunity to speak at the webinar, highlighting how TV White Space can be the most affordable and quickest technology to deliver broadband in sparsely populated rural areas where fiber is too costly to install. TV White Space is a superior alternative to other wireless technologies, including LTE and 900 MHz, because the TV spectrum band has transmission characteristics that allow it to penetrate through densely forested areas and bend around hills better than all other wireless technologies in the market today. Mr. O’Connor commented that “The webinar was a great opportunity for schools, libraries and other anchor institutions to gain insights into the best ways of addressing broadband connectivity in rural America, including Carlson’s Gen3 TV white spaces network solutions.” Other topics covered in this webinar include the particular broadband challenges rural communities face, the role of Community Anchor Institutions in connecting communities, and a review of promising business models. This was SHLB’s best webinar to date, even hitting their audience cap of 100 viewers. Jim Carlson, CEO of Carlson Wireless, was excited to see such high interest in the webinar, stating “This is great news all around. It shows that the technology that we’ve been diligently working on might finally be coming to fruition, and that the needs of those without a good broadband solution are being seriously recognized. Maybe we will soon see a close in the gap of the digital divide.”
To watch the SHLB webinar, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uBZ_MFeM4s
