NTIA Releases Final BTOP CCI Case Studies
Case Study Highlights MBC’s Economic and Societal Impact on Southern Virginia
South Boston, VA – April 24, 2015 – On April 13, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released case studies on 12 of the 109 Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) projects that evaluated the societal and economic impact of the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP). The case studies were conducted by ASR Analytics, LLC. One of the twelve studies performed by ASR Analytics highlights the social and economic impact of the BTOP grant completed by Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC).
In July 2013, the team at ASR Analytics made a trip to Southern Virginia to speak with several entities about the impact the MBC network has had on Southern Virginia. They interviewed two last mile providers, one business subscriber, two school districts, three economic development organizations, and one county.
The study concluded that the BTOP grant enabled MBC to positively impact a large area and group of people that would not have been possible without funding from BTOP. The cost savings and reliability offered by the MBC network have allowed schools to see an increase in operational efficiency and offer digital learning opportunities to their students. This availability of fiber in rural Southern Virginia has also brought about economic opportunities to the region that would not have come about without the presence of a reliable carrier-grade fiber-optic network.
To view the case study in its entirety, please visithttp://www2.ntia.doc.gov/files/mbc_case_study_report_order_number_d10pd18645.pdf.
About Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization, committed to providing economic development leadership to Southern Virginia. MBC promotes economic development in Southern Virginia through the operation of a successful advanced open access fiber optic network, providing wholesale telecommunications transport services, colocation and tower leasing. Since its inception in 2004 and by offering a state-of-the art fiber optic network, MBC has supported the recruitment of major investments including data centers, call center/operations centers, advanced manufacturing, research and development, and bio-tech industries. For more information, visit www.mbc-va.com.
About BTOP
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) appropriated $4.4 billion in federal funding to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to implement the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in order to spur job creation, stimulate economic growth, and increase access to broadband services. BTOP projects are intended to support increased broadband access and adoption, provide broadband training and support through community organizations, and stimulate the demand for broadband. NTIA distributed grant funding to 233 projects, benefiting all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. The types of projects BTOP funded include Public Computer Centers (PCC), Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA), and Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI). CCI projects deploy new or improved broadband Internet facilities to connect households, businesses, and community anchor institutions (CAI) such as schools, libraries, hospitals, and public safety facilities. CCI projects funded by BTOP are predominantly middle mile projects, although a small number of last mile projects were awarded.