Quoted from Cel

Been to Proctors Apostrophe coffee shop?  Yikes.  $4 for a slice of cake.  Have to buy something to access WiFi. Only for one hour then have to buy something again.  Gonna have to try buying a candy bar see if there is a minimum purchase requirement.

Figured out cost to use it one hour a day over one month buy a small coffee it adds up to over $40.  Now remember Proctors has a deal with Time Warner you tell me how much it costs to provide that service?

Then parking meters set to 1.5 hours.  Come on.  Gouge the residents even more.  Sure encourages shopping. Parking lots charging after 2 hours.  Again real inviting.

My tax dollars pay for all these things it is double dipping stealing from us.  grrrrr.

Quoted from rpforpres

http://www.onereputation.com/keyhall/  And where are the arts

Imagine Italian marble, gleaming terrazzo floors and a 40-foot high ceiling as the backdrop for your next bash. Located in the revitalized theater and entertainment center of downtown Schenectady, Key Hall offers a unique private event space. Serving the community for 100 years as a bank this unique venue offers the stately beauty of a bygone era.

Key Hall at Proctors
436 State Street
Schenectady, NY 12305

Emily Miller, Weddings & Social Events (51 881-4501
Laura Bonesteel, Corporate Events (51 688-2123

Click Here for Our Dream Date Packages

Quoted from Cel

Been to Proctors Apostrophe coffee shop?  Yikes.  $4 for a slice of cake.  Have to buy something to access WiFi. Only for one hour then have to buy something again.  Gonna have to try buying a candy bar see if there is a minimum purchase requirement.

Figured out cost to use it one hour a day over one month buy a small coffee it adds up to over $40. Now remember Proctors has a deal with Time Warner you tell me how much it costs to provide that service?

Then parking meters set to 1.5 hours.  Come on.  Gouge the residents even more.  Sure encourages shopping. Parking lots charging after 2 hours.  Again real inviting.

My tax dollars pay for all these things it is double dipping stealing from us.  grrrrr.

Quoted Text

State giving back stimulus funds intended for broadband expansion
Money was intended to expand high-speed Internet access
By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel Feb. 15, 2011
EMAIL PRINT (305) COMMENTS
Poll
State officials are returning $23 million to the federal government, saying there were too many strings attached to stimulus money that was supposed to be for expanding high-speed Internet service in schools, libraries and government agencies.

Do you agree with the decision to return the $23 million in stimulus money aimed at expanding high-speed internet service in Wisconsin?

Yes. Too many strings attached. We'll find another way to do it
No. We need broadband in schools now. It's another step backwards
vote
View Results
State officials are returning $23 million to the federal government, saying there were too many strings attached to stimulus money that was supposed to be for expanding high-speed Internet service in schools, libraries and government agencies.

The money was to have boosted broadband connections in 380 Wisconsin communities, including 385 libraries and 82 schools. It also could have been used to improve police, fire department and hospital communications in rural areas.

But state taxpayers would have been on the hook for the entire $23 million if the state could not meet the grant's precise requirements, Mike Huebsch, secretary of the state Department of Administration, said in a memo to school and library associations.

"This is simply not an acceptable risk," Huebsch wrote.

Wisconsin received the grant a year ago from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. It was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included about $7 billion in grants, loans and loan guarantees to extend broadband to underserved rural areas and was compatible with President Barack Obama's goal of making high-speed Internet available to 98% of Americans by 2016.

The money would have been used for the BadgerNet Converged Network, which brings the Internet to schools, libraries, and state and local government agencies. It would have paid for 200 miles of fiber-optic cable, improving the Internet connections at hundreds of public facilities.

BadgerNet, however, runs on infrastructure owned and managed primarily by AT&T Inc. - and that became a sticking point with federal officials who were not used to public-private partnerships, according to the state.

"We, as a state, do not own our network. We purchase a managed service through the BadgerNet contract," said Diane Kohn, acting administrator for the Division of Enterprise Technology in the Department of Administration.

Federal officials wanted a commitment that the fiber-optic cable would be used for at least 20 years, but the state's contract with AT&T is for five years.

"From a federal perspective, it was like we were some kind of unknown start-up firm with all of these risks attached to it," said Robert Bocher, an information technology consultant for the Department of Public Instruction. "In fact, our network has been around since the mid-1990s."

AT&T did not want to be a sub-recipient of the grant, according to Bocher.

"From a corporate perspective, they did not want to get bogged down in federal grant regulations," he said.

The grant also required an environmental assessment for the 467 locations that would receive fiber-optic cable.

State officials said they spent months trying to find a way to keep the stimulus money without violating the terms of the grant.

"It was quite burdensome," Bocher said. "There were many more hoops to jump through every time we proposed something."

Gov. Scott Walker's administration asked AT&T for the company's best offer, without the grant, to get schools, libraries and government agencies the Internet bandwidth they need, Bocher said.

"I am fairly optimistic that we are going to get what the grant would have provided, or something fairly close to it," Bocher said. "But sooner or later, most of our schools and libraries that don't have fiber-optic cable will need it. And then the question becomes, who is going to pay for it?"

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration did not return a Journal Sentinel call asking about the grant requirements. AT&T also did not return calls.

State Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) said Walker's administration was hurting the state.

"Not only is he turning away construction jobs that would have come with the federal grant to expand broadband fiber to schools and libraries across Wisconsin, but he's closing off potential to business growth that comes with bridging the digital divide," Pocan said. "What's worse, the root of his decision wasn't what was in the best interest of Wisconsin, rather the best interest of his big telecommunications campaign donors."

Employees of AT&T Inc. and its political action committee donated more than $20,000 to Walker's campaign, nearly three times more than the $7,600 they donated to his opponent, Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat, according to Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

School and library associations said they were disappointed in the decision since many rural communities, especially, lack fast broadband connections.

For the immediate future, libraries will probably be able to increase their bandwidth with the existing infrastructure. But long term, not having the additional fiber-optic cable is a loss, said Lisa Strand, executive director of the Wisconsin Library Association.

"This really could have been a boon for the state," Strand said.

Increasingly, schools are turning to the Internet for classes, online tests and administrative tasks.

"The state is moving away from paper-and-pencil, fill-in-the-bubble tests for student achievement," said Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

It's nearly impossible to stream video and manage photos through a slow Internet connection, said Sandy Heiden, media coordinator for the Seymour Community School District.

"It's like pulling a Culver's milkshake through a tiny cocktail straw," Heiden said.

Currently, state officials are negotiating with AT&T for a renewal of the five-year BadgerNet contract.

Faster broadband might be available even without more fiber-optic cable, according to state officials, because technology that uses copper wire has improved to accept more bandwidth.

Long term, it makes sense to use the lowest-cost technology to accommodate bandwidth requirements, according to state officials.

Daniel Bice and Cary Spivak of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

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Welcome to the New York State Universal Broadband website. This website provides information on the state’s efforts to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-speed broadband services in urban and rural communities from border to border.

Better broadband means greater opportunities for New Yorkers. By leveraging today’s Internet, citizens have greater opportunities to connect to educational and workforce development training resources; communities can foster more economic development; businesses can access new markets and create more jobs, and our schools, colleges and universities can conduct high-tech research and development and build an innovative and talented high-tech workforce. But, residents cannot fully participate in the digital economy without access to affordable broadband and the ability to use it.

Despite New York’s record of commitment to universal broadband, there are still many areas that are underserved and unserved. We have a diverse State made up urban, suburban and rural areas. As outlined in the Broadband Strategic Plan, we are working to close the digital divide that exist in adoption and availability rates, and to increase economic opportunities in New York State through universal broadband deployment.

Quoted Text

State of New York has undertaken a massive effort to build a statewide broadband map showing usage and access to broadband technology in effort to understand the existing broadband landscape — where broadband is available, and where it is not.



Visitors to the map can enter a street address and see a list of broadband providers who offer service in their neighborhoods, including the types of broadband service and service speeds, as well as links to contact the providers for additional information or to subscribe for service. The map illustrates where broadband adoption is predicted to be low and indicates broadband speed. The map also permits visitors to indicate areas in the State that lack broadband coverage, to report errors or omissions on the map and to help the State gather additional data on broadband availability.

The map is available at http://www.broadbandmap.ny.gov and allows citizens to explore all regions of the State.

Quoted Text

Initiative expands wireless coverage to 98% of Americans, reduces deficit by nearly $10 billion, invests in nationwide public safety network

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will today detail his plan to win the future by catalyzing the buildout of high-speed wireless services that will enable businesses to grow faster, students to learn more, and public safety officials to access state-of-the-art, secure, nationwide, and interoperable mobile communications.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for a National Wireless Initiative to make available high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of Americans. The Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative laid out today will make it possible for businesses to achieve that goal, while freeing up spectrum through incentive auctions, spurring innovation, and creating a nationwide, interoperable wireless network for public safety.  It will also reduce the national deficit by approximately $10 billion.

The President will announce the new initiative at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, a city where local businesses have been able to grow as a result of broadband access, with particular benefit in exporting goods to new markets around the world.  He will also see a demonstration of how the university’s WiMAX network has enabled distance learning for university and community students.

For more details on the President’s Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative, please see the fact sheet below:

The White House

FACT SHEET: President Obama’s Plan to Win the Future through the Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative

In his State of the Union address, President Obama set the goal of enabling businesses to provide high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of all Americans within five years.  The rollout of the next generation of high-speed wireless—the “4G” technology now being deployed in the United States by leading carriers—promises considerable benefits to our economy and society.  More than 10 times faster than current high speed wireless services, this technology promises to benefit all Americans, bolster public safety, and spur innovation in wireless services, equipment, and applications.  By catalyzing private investment and innovation and reducing the deficit by $9.6 billion, this initiative will help the United States win the future and compete in the 21st century economy.

Nearly Double Wireless Spectrum Available for Mobile Broadband:  The President has set the goal of freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum for everything from smartphones to wireless broadband connectivity for laptops to new forms of machine-to-machine communication within a decade.  Critical to realizing this goal are “voluntary incentive auctions” and more efficient use of government spectrum, estimated to raise $27.8 billion over the next decade.
Provide At Least 98% of Americans with Access to 4G High-Speed Wireless:  Private investments are extending 4G to most of the Nation, but leaving some rural areas behind.  The President’s initiative would support a one-time investment of $5 billion and reform of the “Universal Service Fund” to ensure millions more Americans will be able to use this technology.
Catalyze Innovation Through a Wireless Innovation (WIN):  To spur innovation, $3 billion of the spectrum proceeds will go to research and development of emerging wireless technologies and applications.
Develop and Deploy a Nationwide, Interoperable Wireless Network for Public Safety: The President’s Budget calls for a $10.7 billion commitment to support the development and deployment of a nationwide wireless broadband network to afford public safety agencies with far greater levels of effectiveness and interoperability.  An important element of this plan is the reallocation of the D Block for public safety and $500 million within the WIN Fund.
Cut the Deficit By $9.6 Billion Over the Next Decade:  Nearly $10 billion of spectrum auction revenue will be devoted to deficit reduction.
Details of the President’s Initiative



Nearly Double Wireless Spectrum Available for Mobile Broadband.  The number of “Smartphones” will soon pass both conventional mobile phones and computers around the world, promising lower costs for such devices, more functionality, and greater demand for bandwidth (speed).  4G deployment is rising to meet this demand, but it relies on access to the “airwaves” that is currently constrained by a spectrum crunch that will hinder future innovation.  To address this challenge, the President’s initiative has set the goal of freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum.  Specifically, the plan provides:
Win-win incentives for government holders.  New financial-compensation tools and a commitment to using advanced technologies more effectively will enable government agencies to use spectrum more efficiently.
Win-win incentives for commercial holders.  As recommended in the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, legislation is needed to allow the FCC to conduct “voluntary incentive auctions” that enable current spectrum holders to realize a portion of auction revenues if they choose to participate.
The majority of the freed up spectrum would be auctioned for licensed mobile broadband, raising a projected $27.8 billion over the next decade, and a remainder would be for unlicensed use.
A Goal of 98% of Americans with Access to 4G High-Speed Wireless. America’s businesses are building out 4G networks to much of the nation, with some major companies crediting the President’s recent tax incentives for accelerating their efforts. Nevertheless, absent additional government investment, millions of Americans will not be able to participate in the 4G revolution.  To that end, the President’s Budget supports the 4G buildout in rural areas through a one-time $5 billion investment.  This investment, to be managed by the FCC, will help catalyze universal service reform to provide access to higher-speed wireless and wired broadband, dovetail with the need for public safety to have a wireless network available in rural areas, and extend access from the almost 95% of Americans who have 3G wireless services today to at least 98% of all Americans gaining access to state-of-the-art 4G high-speed wireless services within five years.  Extending access to high-speed wireless not only provides a valuable service to Americans living in those areas—access to medical tests, online courses, and applications that have not yet been invented—but also catalyzes economic growth by enabling consumers and businesses living in those areas to participate in the 21st century economy.
A Wireless Innovation (WIN) Fund to Help Drive Innovation. This $3 billion fund will advance our economic growth and competitiveness goals, supporting key technological developments that will enable and take advantage of the 4G rollout and pave the way for new technologies.  The WIN Fund will support basic research, experimentation and testbeds, and applied development in a number of areas, including public safety, education, energy, health, transportation, and economic development.
Develop and Deploy A Nationwide, Interoperable Wireless Network For Public Safety. The 9/11 Commission noted that our homeland security is vulnerable, in part, due to the lack of interoperable wireless communication among first responders.  The rollout of 4G high speed wireless services provides a unique opportunity to deploy such a system in conjunction with the commercial infrastructure already being developed and deployed.  To seize that opportunity, President Obama is calling for an investment of $10.7 billion to ensure that our public safety benefits from these new technologies: $3.2 billion to reallocate the “D Block” (which is a band of spectrum that would be reserved and prioritized for public safety and not auctioned as called for under existing law); $7 billion to support the deployment of this network; and $500 million from the WIN Fund for R&D and technological development to tailor the network to meet public safety requirements.  This investment, in coordination with the investment in rural buildout, will ensure that the rollout of 4G in rural areas serves the needs of public safety and the broader community.
Cut the deficit by $9.6 billion over the next decade. The President’s proposals to auction off spectrum freed up from the government and voluntarily relinquished by current commercial users, is estimated to raise $27.8 billion. This total is above-and-beyond the auction proceeds that are used to provide an incentive for private and government users as well as the auction proceeds that are expected even absent the President’s proposal. After the cost of the investments proposed by the President, the initiative would reduce the deficit by $9.6 billion over the next decade.
Building on Progress

The Administration has already made progress on its decade-long spectrum goal and on expanding broadband access.

A 115 MHz downpayment on the President’s 500 MHz goal. Last June, President Obama issued a Memorandum calling for action by the Federal government and Congress to enable large swaths of spectrum to be used more efficiently.  The NTIA has already taken steps to make good on that commitment.  In particular, the agency has identified 115 Megahertz of Federal spectrum that can be freed up as part of a “fast track” process for exclusive or shared use, selected another 95 MHz of valuable spectrum for immediate evaluation, and has a workplan for evaluating other Federal spectrum bands that can be used more efficiently.
Recovery Act investments by the Commerce and Agriculture Departments have boosted deployment and adoption of broadband technology.  The Recovery Act provided around $7 billion to expand broadband access and adoption, with more than $2.5 billion going to the Rural Utility Service at Agriculture for rural areas and $4.4 billion going to National Telecommunications and Information Administration at Commerce to support a number of broadband initiatives.  In particular, NTIA provided around $400 million in grants to jurisdictions using wireless broadband for public safety.

Quoted Text

Schenectady County- Broadband Wireless Mesh Network
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KEY FACTS
Organization Legal Name     Schenectady County
Compare Schenectady County BTOP Grants
Project Title     Broadband Wireless Mesh Network
Organization Primary Address City     Schenectady
Organization Primary Address State/Province     NY
RBI BIP With BTOP Consideration     Yes
Non Rural BTOP Infrastructure Category Consideration     Middle Mile
Classification     Middle Mile
Compare Middle Mile BTOP Grants
Status     Application Not Funded
RBI Infrastructure Total Project Budget     $955,000
RBI Grant Request     $955,000
RBI Rural Classificaton     FALSE
Project Easygrants ID     142
Project Program     Broadband Infrastructure Programs
Project Type     BTOP
Project Funding Cycle     Summer 2009 Broadband Initiatives Program and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Fact Sheet     no
Tribes Served     no
Funding Round Number     1

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Project Description     This project will build a high speed wireless mesh network for increasing coverage in Schenectady County. The county is under served for wireless connectivity and expansion of the network will allow increased protection and communication for wireless cameras for public safety and a more robust network.