Community Area Networks

Community Area Network Workgroup Upcoming Meeting Information

Online Updates:  Broadband Stimulus Program, Grant Writing, and Support

December 21, 2009 2:00pm: Broadband Stimulus Update (Audio Conference)
February 1, 2010 2:00pm: Broadband Stimulus Update (Audio Conference)
February 22, 2010 2:00pm: Broadband Stimulus Update (Audio Conference)

March 24, 2010 (Time TBD):  Getting a Community Area Network Started
Face to Face Meeting (Location TBD)

May 11, 2010 (Time TBD):  Community Area Network Governance
Face to Face Meeting (Monona Terrace and Convention Center – Madison, Wisconsin)
(Coinciding with the WiscNet Future Technologies Conference May 10 & 11, 2010)

Community Area Networking Terminology

About the Community Area Networks Workgroup

To assist communities in their pursuit of Community Area Networks (CANs), WiscNet is introducing the Community Area Network Workgroup. To join the workgroup, either attend one of our scheduled online meetings or subscribe to the Community Area Network Workgroup Email List here.

What does the CAN Workgroup offer? The CAN Workgroup will bring members together to share knowledge, provide leadership, and maximize resources around Community Area Networks. Specifically, members can look to the CAN Workgroup to offer:

• Face to Face Workshops
• Webinars on CAN Topics (Governance, Procuring Fiber, etc.)
• Resource Sharing (Grant Template, Letters of Support, etc.)
• Ongoing BTOP/National Broadband Policy Updates
• Coordination with other Groups (UW Extension, UW System, other CANs)

In 2007 WiscNet introduced Grow Smart, a challenge to stop thinking about the Internet as a scarce resource. We froze the cost of Internet access for three years, allowing WiscNet members to use as much as possible for a fixed cost. Many WiscNet members used this opportunity to upgrade from 3Mbps to 20/50/100Mbps circuits. It has been wildly successful.

We are now sharing the strategies that make Grow Smart successful with communities throughout Wisconsin. Community Area Networks (CANs) are coordinated regional communication infrastructures designed to promote innovation, competition, and economic viability in local communities. Once the infrastructure is established, exciting new opportunities arise. Consider connecting your community to the Internet at 10,000Mbps instead of 5Mbps, all for a fraction of the price. Think about collaborating on services such as common data systems (finance, student records, GIS, library, phone) in your community.

Community area networks make this, and more, possible. Federal broadband stimulus provides opportunities to get beyond the initial capital costs of building these networks and plan long term.

For the latest news regarding WiscNet’s efforts around Community Area Networks (CANs) including ARRA broadband stimulus news, visit http://wire.wiscnet.net/wiscnetwire/cans/