Nebraska Broadband Update

Jenny Nixon Author

10/04/2024 Added

2 Plays

Description

Anne Byers gives an update on the Nebraska Broadband project. Recorded 10/19/2022.

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[00:00:00.000]So, Anne, do you know most of these people or should we have a quick introduction?
[00:00:05.480]Oh, let's do introductions.
[00:00:07.600]Awesome.
[00:00:08.600]Well, you know me.
[00:00:09.760]I'm Jenny Nixon.
[00:00:10.760]I'm still an Extension Educator in the northwest corner of the state.
[00:00:14.340]I'm in Harrison today.
[00:00:15.840]I have a Sioux County background.
[00:00:18.100]So, Joni, you're next on my list.
[00:00:20.580]Joni Jesperson, Mobius Communications and the Hemingford Telephone Company.
[00:00:25.260]Jordan.
[00:00:26.260]Hello.
[00:00:27.260]Good morning, Ann.
[00:00:32.240]Jordan Rasmussen, Rural Prosperity, Nebraska Extension Educator based out of Burwell.
[00:00:36.940]Mylon.
[00:00:37.940]Hey, Ann, nice to see you after a long time.
[00:00:43.700]Mylon Wall with the Heartland Center for Leadership Development in Lincoln.
[00:00:47.940]Sean.
[00:00:48.940]Hello, everyone.
[00:00:50.020]Sean Caskey.
[00:00:51.020]We've met Ann with some of the broadcasts that we've had in the last couple of weeks.
[00:00:56.420]And with some of the broadband stuff with Charlotte a few years back.
[00:00:59.220]So good to see you again.
[00:01:00.600]Like Jordan and Jenny, a Rural Prosperity Educator based out of Broken Bow, Custer County,
[00:01:07.100]Nebraska.
[00:01:08.100]Karen.
[00:01:09.100]Karen Anderson, Scott Swift-Gearing United Chamber of Commerce.
[00:01:14.400]Daniel.
[00:01:15.920]Good morning, I'm Daniel Bennett, I work for Civic Nebraska, I'm a community planner by
[00:01:24.580]background.
[00:01:25.580]So right now I'm doing similar community planning efforts, but also youth civic education.
[00:01:31.540]Marla.
[00:01:32.940]Marla Marks, USDA Rural Development, and I cover the, well that's changed, so I don't
[00:01:39.860]know what my counties are.
[00:01:41.200]We've kind of rearranged our map a little bit, and so I now get to serve Cherry County.
[00:01:47.100]So anything on Mountain Time Zone is mine, so that's kind of a nice, nice thing for me.
[00:01:53.700]Well, Cherry County is not all in Mountain Time Zone, but we'll forgive that.
[00:02:00.420]Bill.
[00:02:01.420]Hey, good morning, everybody.
[00:02:04.480]Philip Jensen, Great Plains Communications, Shadrow, Nebraska.
[00:02:10.240]And we have Mike in Valentine.
[00:02:14.140]Mike is really working with his radio and his audio here.
[00:02:18.780]So Mike Bird in Valentine is our full-time KBS radio host.
[00:02:23.580]Thank you.
[00:02:23.580]Mike is a KBSH radio owner.
[00:02:25.740]That's awesome.
[00:02:28.640]Anybody diagnosed?
[00:02:29.640]I don't think so.
[00:02:31.840]So Ann, I guess I'm going to turn it over to you.
[00:02:34.120]We're going to talk about broadband today and all the things that are coming forward,
[00:02:37.760]I think, for you guys to look forward to in the next months and years.
[00:02:42.620]Go ahead, Ann.
[00:02:44.020]Yeah. You know, I have a short presentation.
[00:02:47.460]Or do you want me to just to go without a presentation?
[00:02:49.820]Go ahead and do the presentation.
[00:02:51.960]Okay. If you can let me share.
[00:02:53.460]Share my screen.
[00:02:55.300]You can be able to.
[00:02:56.620]Okay.
[00:02:57.540]Oh, did I do that right?
[00:03:01.960]Here, let me, let me do this again.
[00:03:04.760]Share screen, make sure I got the right one.
[00:03:07.380]Okay.
[00:03:08.220]All right.
[00:03:19.240]Yeah, it would help if I did this right.
[00:03:21.080]It's, you know, always great when the technology person
[00:03:23.340]can't do the technology.
[00:03:25.600]Okay.
[00:03:27.760]Today, I wanna talk to you about the Connect Nebraska
[00:03:30.400]Broadband Initiative.
[00:03:32.200]You know, I think you all realize that broadband
[00:03:34.940]is important to our communities
[00:03:37.260]and to rural areas of our state.
[00:03:39.800]Approximately 90% of Nebraska households
[00:03:44.060]have an internet subscription
[00:03:45.400]and 85% of Nebraska farms and ranches
[00:03:48.300]currently have an internet subscription.
[00:03:50.220]And when I say an internet subscription,
[00:03:52.140]that's any kind of
[00:03:53.220]satellite subscription.
[00:03:54.220]That doesn't mean that it's a quality
[00:03:57.620]subscription that people are happy
[00:03:58.980]with their broadband.
[00:04:00.840]And that also includes the 11% of
[00:04:03.960]Nebraska households that only have a
[00:04:05.740]mobile cellular internet subscription.
[00:04:11.040]Internet subscription rates vary by
[00:04:12.620]county from a high of 95% in Sarpy County
[00:04:15.780]to a low of 71% in Sioux County.
[00:04:19.680]And does that include satellite subscriptions?
[00:04:23.100]Yes.
[00:04:24.100]Yeah, this is from the US Census Bureau.
[00:04:26.780]So any kind of internet subscription is
[00:04:31.140]included in that.
[00:04:36.560]Older adults and those with lower incomes
[00:04:38.320]are the least likely to be connected.
[00:04:41.200]27% of Nebraskans aged 65 and older did
[00:04:45.420]not have an internet connection at home.
[00:04:47.540]And 37% of Nebraska households with a
[00:04:50.580]household income of less than $20,000.
[00:04:52.980]Do not have an internet connection at home.
[00:04:58.460]Connectivity is also important for community
[00:05:00.140]anchor institutions, schools, hospitals, libraries.
[00:05:04.560]But when we're talking about digital equity,
[00:05:06.480]it could also be other organizations and
[00:05:11.040]and institutions, you know, and locations
[00:05:13.120]like a senior center or VFW or churches.
[00:05:19.640]But only 15% of Nebraska libraries have
[00:05:22.860]internet service of 100 megabits per second or greater.
[00:05:26.480]You know, right now, that's kind of what the speed
[00:05:29.580]that as far as funding, if you're eligible for funding,
[00:05:35.360]we say if you don't have 100 down,
[00:05:38.740]you are probably eligible for funding.
[00:05:41.760]And that's for a household.
[00:05:44.800]And only 15% of our libraries have that speed or greater.
[00:05:49.360]And many of these libraries are in very tiny towns, right?
[00:05:52.740]They're not big libraries.
[00:05:54.360]They may not be open a lot of hours.
[00:05:57.720]But if someone doesn't have internet access in their home
[00:06:01.880]and they need to go somewhere to get access,
[00:06:07.520]they're not getting very good access in their library
[00:06:10.620]if it's one of these libraries that doesn't have good access.
[00:06:15.180]And over a third of the libraries have less than 25/3.
[00:06:21.300]So that's kind of an eye opening.
[00:06:22.620]I saw, Jenny, I saw your eyes open wide there.
[00:06:25.560]But there are several sources of broadband funding
[00:06:33.240]that the state will be receiving.
[00:06:36.640]I'm going to be involved in the state digital equity planning
[00:06:39.680]grant.
[00:06:41.680]The state will get $600,000.
[00:06:43.800]We're expecting the grant award any time
[00:06:47.440]within the next couple of weeks to develop
[00:06:49.920]a state digital equity plan to make sure that--
[00:06:52.500]everybody has access to broadband
[00:06:55.860]and a broadband subscription.
[00:06:58.080]They have a device that they can use and the skills
[00:07:00.180]that they need to use these technologies if they want it.
[00:07:04.560]And I'll be talking a lot more about that.
[00:07:08.200]The state will also be getting money
[00:07:09.740]through what's called the Broadband Equity Access
[00:07:12.240]and Deployment Program, or BEAD.
[00:07:14.760]We know the state will get at least $100 million
[00:07:17.400]for broadband deployment to be distributed
[00:07:20.040]through a grant program.
[00:07:22.380]And it could be more like two or 300 million.
[00:07:26.440]We won't know until the spring
[00:07:28.060]when the FCC has the second version
[00:07:33.060]of their new broadband maps.
[00:07:36.180]They're gonna use that to determine the total allocation.
[00:07:40.960]So we won't know for a while exactly how much we're getting,
[00:07:43.720]but it will be a substantial amount of funding
[00:07:46.540]that will be distributed through grants.
[00:07:49.100]And then the state has also gotten approximately $88
[00:07:52.260]million in funding through the U.S. Department
[00:07:56.000]of Treasury Capital Projects Fund for broadband grants.
[00:08:00.700]So, and that's being distributed by,
[00:08:02.860]was allocated by congressional district.
[00:08:08.220]So the more rural congressional districts
[00:08:11.060]will have money for broadband deployment available.
[00:08:14.960]So, and that will probably be distributed
[00:08:20.000]through a grant program
[00:08:22.140]that will open up the beginning of the year of next year.
[00:08:26.080]So there is money coming.
[00:08:30.180]So, and all of these different broadband funding efforts
[00:08:37.760]are being coordinated by what's called
[00:08:41.740]the Connect Nebraska Working Group,
[00:08:43.420]which consists of members from the State Budget Office,
[00:08:46.420]the Governor's Policy Research Office,
[00:08:48.320]the Public Service Commission,
[00:08:50.020]and the Nebraska Information Technology Commission
[00:08:52.020]Office of the CIO.
[00:08:53.760]So I'm part of that broadband working group.
[00:08:58.260]I'm going to talk a little bit more
[00:08:59.500]about the State Digital Equity Planning Grant.
[00:09:01.440]As I said, we're getting $600,000
[00:09:04.600]to develop a State Digital Equity Plan.
[00:09:08.560]I need to update that slide.
[00:09:11.900]It was originally supposed to be awarded in late September,
[00:09:15.960]but it hasn't, so we're still waiting on that.
[00:09:19.060]And this is funding from the National Television
[00:09:21.900]and Telecommunications and Information Administration.
[00:09:24.700]So what's, I think, exciting
[00:09:30.300]about this State Digital Equity Plan
[00:09:32.220]is that when states complete their plan in a year,
[00:09:35.080]we have a year to do this,
[00:09:36.940]sometime after that year,
[00:09:39.200]the NTIA will open up a grant program for states,
[00:09:43.980]and states can apply for a minimum of $7.2 million
[00:09:48.980]to set up a state,
[00:09:51.780]digital equity grant program.
[00:09:53.940]So we'll have money to implement the plan.
[00:09:56.940]You know, so often we do plans,
[00:09:58.160]but we may not have money to implement it.
[00:10:00.160]We're gonna have some money to implement it
[00:10:02.160]through a grant program.
[00:10:04.240]And the plan will really guide the development
[00:10:09.240]of the guidelines for this program.
[00:10:13.280]So it's important that the plan really represents the needs
[00:10:18.280]of our communities.
[00:10:20.660]And so that's why we really
[00:10:21.660]want your input and want everyone in the state
[00:10:25.240]to participate in the development of the plan.
[00:10:28.880]So, and our planning approach is trying to learn together.
[00:10:35.700]I don't have all the answers.
[00:10:36.900]I don't know everything right now.
[00:10:38.200]I want to learn from all of you,
[00:10:40.420]from other stakeholders in the state to build partnerships.
[00:10:44.340]That's why I'm so happy to be talking to you.
[00:10:48.760]We want to work with you.
[00:10:50.300]We also want to recognize
[00:10:51.540]and build on successful digital equity efforts.
[00:10:55.660]States are required to cover the needs
[00:11:02.380]of eight different covered populations.
[00:11:07.040]I think what's interesting is that altogether,
[00:11:12.000]about 75 percent of Nebraska's population
[00:11:15.580]falls into one of those covered populations.
[00:11:18.100]We're not really talking about just addressing the needs of
[00:11:21.420]the 10 percent of people in the state
[00:11:25.220]that don't have an Internet connection at home.
[00:11:27.560]This is much bigger than that.
[00:11:29.120]This is really addressing the needs of a majority of Nebraskans.
[00:11:34.760]We're also going to be really promoting the use of
[00:11:38.800]technologies that have the potential to grow our economy
[00:11:42.940]and to improve the lives of Nebraskans.
[00:11:47.720]In particular, I think precision agriculture technologies,
[00:11:51.300]have a lot of, are becoming increasingly important to our agricultural economy,
[00:11:58.260]and telehealth and remote health monitoring,
[00:12:06.180]I think, could help improve access to care,
[00:12:11.780]and reduce a lot of the health disparities that we're seeing in the state.
[00:12:16.340]We're going to be also promoting those technologies on the biggest group,
[00:12:21.180]would be rural residents, that's 36% of the state's population.
[00:12:27.700]Second biggest, those 60 years and over.
[00:12:31.620]So definitely a lot of focus on those areas.
[00:12:35.420]And also low-income individuals,
[00:12:37.660]since they are the group that's the least likely to be connected.
[00:12:42.180]So we'll be addressing the needs of all those,
[00:12:44.500]but I think those are probably three of the areas that we're,
[00:12:47.900]three populations we'll really be focusing on.
[00:12:51.060]We are partnering with the state's regional economic development districts
[00:12:58.180]and the library commission on this project.
[00:13:02.260]And we're already starting to plan some activities.
[00:13:10.020]We had a kickoff webinar last week.
[00:13:12.020]We recorded that.
[00:13:14.860]I will be putting that up on our website when I have a chance.
[00:13:20.940]We have some listening sessions scheduled on older adults,
[00:13:25.860]internet access, and telehealth.
[00:13:28.260]And we will probably be scheduling some more listening
[00:13:31.220]sessions in the future.
[00:13:34.060]It doesn't have to necessarily be on those topics.
[00:13:38.100]So if you'd like us to come out to the panhandle
[00:13:42.420]and do a listening session, it's something
[00:13:44.860]that we would be open to.
[00:13:47.660]We're going to be inventorying digital equity assets and best
[00:13:50.820]practices.
[00:13:51.580]So if you have a great program that you'd
[00:13:53.980]like us to include in that inventory, let us know.
[00:13:59.220]We'd like to feature it in a webinar and learn from it.
[00:14:05.540]We'll be developing regional digital equity plans
[00:14:08.780]and then bringing everybody to get representatives
[00:14:12.820]of those regional planning groups
[00:14:14.660]together for a state planning conference
[00:14:18.140]to share their findings, their recommendations,
[00:14:20.700]and to start to discuss state findings and recommendations.
[00:14:24.540]And then we'll also be coordinating
[00:14:26.340]with the BEAD planning efforts.
[00:14:29.980]They have to do a five-year deployment plan
[00:14:33.300]in order to get that, you know, 100, 200, 300 million,
[00:14:37.580]whatever it's going to be.
[00:14:39.180]So we will be coordinating with them.
[00:14:43.820]And so there are lots of ways that you can participate.
[00:14:47.620]You know, I think one would be to participate
[00:14:50.580]in regional planning groups.
[00:14:52.100]Spread the word about any events.
[00:14:53.820]You know, if we would have a listening session.
[00:14:56.940]Share information with us on digital equity assets
[00:15:00.420]and best practices to participate
[00:15:05.380]in or host listening sessions.
[00:15:08.140]We'll have a formal comment period for the end.
[00:15:13.140]So submitting comments would be very helpful.
[00:15:18.340]And then there's my contact information.
[00:15:20.460]Most of you know me anyhow.
[00:15:21.980]So I'm going to stop sharing.
[00:15:28.780]Do you have questions?
[00:15:30.300]Deb, yes, this is the plan that the development districts
[00:15:36.500]will be, NROC will be developing.
[00:15:38.420]- Do any of you have a wish
[00:15:48.060]to have a listening session in your community?
[00:15:50.340]- I had a general question, Anne,
[00:15:55.340]if you could just give an idea of what kinds of themes
[00:16:03.020]and topics are expected in the plan,
[00:16:05.860]what kinds of themes will be covered
[00:16:09.180]that you're wanting input on?
[00:16:10.780]- Well, the needs of those eight covered populations,
[00:16:16.220]and then we'll also be looking at building
[00:16:20.220]library capacity, probably advance promoting the use
[00:16:25.220]of precision agriculture technologies
[00:16:29.180]and promoting telehealth.
[00:16:33.420]I think those will probably be right now,
[00:16:35.780]I would guess those are the areas of focus.
[00:16:40.300]And then also we have to look at,
[00:16:45.540]I talked about devices, internet connectivity,
[00:16:50.100]skills, privacy and security,
[00:16:53.540]and then meaningful applications.
[00:16:56.220]And that's where the telehealth
[00:16:57.460]and the precision ag comes into play.
[00:17:01.780]So yes, so if you wanted a session
[00:17:06.300]on precision agriculture, you know what,
[00:17:09.260]and actually we didn't have very many members
[00:17:12.260]of the public show up at our listening session yesterday.
[00:17:15.060]So maybe a traditional listening session
[00:17:19.980]is a, may not always be the best way,
[00:17:26.180]or maybe we didn't just,
[00:17:27.340]we didn't do the best job of publicizing it.
[00:17:30.080]Maybe if you have an existing meeting
[00:17:33.520]and we come talk to you
[00:17:35.000]or set up a virtual listening session or presentation,
[00:17:40.620]there are many ways we can do it.
[00:17:45.180]So it doesn't have to be a standalone listening session.
[00:17:49.860]We might do it in conjunction with the BEAD.
[00:17:52.020]I know there are probably areas
[00:17:53.840]that are very concerned about broadband availability.
[00:17:56.180]That's the conversation I've probably had the most,
[00:18:02.320]like commissioners in Sheridan County thinking about,
[00:18:05.320]well, or in Stuke County thinking about access.
[00:18:09.020]How do we have providers that are bringing that to us
[00:18:13.460]and how can we plan for some large rural areas?
[00:18:16.240]Yeah, and so we could set up a meeting of the public,
[00:18:19.740]service commission will be hiring an outreach person
[00:18:22.580]to work on their bead project,
[00:18:26.700]and so that person would be a great resource
[00:18:31.000]and set up a meeting with them.
[00:18:32.780]And the director of the development district out here
[00:18:37.720]has suggested at board meetings anyway,
[00:18:41.260]that there will be an opportunity
[00:18:43.040]to have members of various representative groups
[00:18:48.000]serve on some sort of advisory
[00:18:49.620]capacity to this committee
[00:18:52.520]that NROC is putting together.
[00:18:54.200]Do you see that happening or?
[00:18:56.740]There isn't a formal advisory group.
[00:19:00.620]Okay.
[00:19:01.200]You know, there was some talk about that early on,
[00:19:04.360]but the governor said no.
[00:19:08.420]And so there isn't a formal advisory group.
[00:19:13.280]And you don't even have the actual grant yet.
[00:19:15.680]So we're just assuming at this point,
[00:19:17.500]you are going to continue to work to
[00:19:19.500]contract with MROC to write this plan?
[00:19:22.760]Yeah.
[00:19:23.740]Yeah.
[00:19:24.540]We know that we will get the grant.
[00:19:27.960]We just don't know when.
[00:19:29.220]Okay.
[00:19:30.400]All states are going to get this.
[00:19:32.740]We're pretty far along in the review process.
[00:19:39.920]We're just going through the final stages.
[00:19:42.700]So yeah, unless the state does something
[00:19:46.220]to disqualify themselves,
[00:19:47.640]every state will get this grant
[00:19:49.380]and so far we have not disqualified ourselves.
[00:19:52.000]And the same goes for the BEAD grant.
[00:19:55.720]Every state will get that
[00:19:57.940]unless they do something to disqualify themselves.
[00:20:00.860]So Jordan, I think you have your hand up.
[00:20:03.720]Yeah, and it kind of coming off of Marla's question
[00:20:07.840]about when and where.
[00:20:08.840]So, and actually in this,
[00:20:11.100]I know we had talked a while ago about our work,
[00:20:14.820]the work we were doing in Knox County.
[00:20:16.740]We did receive notice that that did go
[00:20:19.260]through, which is great,
[00:20:21.400]but now we need to be able to think about how we're having
[00:20:24.580]conversations around broadband.
[00:20:26.300]So I guess that's all kind of in flux as well,
[00:20:30.820]but I just wanted to say we're a,
[00:20:33.700]we're a location that would be interested in having some of those
[00:20:37.900]listening sessions,
[00:20:38.920]but it kind of depends on how quickly those need to be happening and
[00:20:44.180]where, I guess, too. So.
[00:20:46.340]Yeah. We have a year to do the grant.
[00:20:49.140]We haven't gotten it yet. So there's, there's time. We kind of,
[00:20:52.640]kind of jumped the gun a little bit on starting these, but actually it was,
[00:20:59.740]it was a really good learning experience. You know,
[00:21:03.300]I think we all learn from the speakers. I know I learned.
[00:21:06.120]And so I think it was good for some of the team members to learn and hear the
[00:21:10.680]different speakers. We had Andrew Whitney from Bryan Health,
[00:21:14.040]talk about how they're using telehealth, and that seems to be the health,
[00:21:17.310]Bryan Health seems to be the system that's using telehealth the most in Nebraska right now.
[00:21:23.890]So, you know, even though we didn't have great attendance from the public,
[00:21:30.010]from a capacity building, as far as the team, it was really helpful.
[00:21:38.550]So, yeah, Jordan, whenever it works out and, you know, we can work something out.
[00:21:47.810]You know, of course, we're starting to get with the winter weather.
[00:21:51.070]Winter weather will be hitting us soon and the holidays.
[00:21:54.590]But yeah, I'm sure we can work something out either in person or virtual.
[00:21:59.090]Yes, and my question, sorry.
[00:22:04.210]My question was, you know, are we thinking,
[00:22:08.430]are we thinking about business people who may not have time to go during the day?
[00:22:12.950]Are we going to think about offering evening sessions
[00:22:15.950]so that we can get to some of those people?
[00:22:18.230]I know with the elderly, they may be able to attend a meeting at the library,
[00:22:23.070]and that might be a great place to reach them,
[00:22:27.050]but we may not be reaching all of the people.
[00:22:29.350]Yeah, that's a good point.
[00:22:32.190]And yeah, you know, we could do an evening session.
[00:22:38.410]If you think that would be better.
[00:22:40.870]Yeah, I think what we learned from the Lincoln listing session
[00:22:49.850]is that we really need to work with local groups,
[00:22:53.610]local stakeholders to encourage people to attend.
[00:22:56.950]Jenny, you made a comment about Sheridan County,
[00:23:03.310]you know, for rural or whatever.
[00:23:04.810]I can speak to that a little bit.
[00:23:06.490]Great point.
[00:23:08.390]Great Plains used the DED money to overbuild Gordon.
[00:23:11.450]I know that's the city, not the rural,
[00:23:13.170]but it's 100% fiber now.
[00:23:15.810]And then the other two communities,
[00:23:17.630]Rushville and Hay Springs have coaxial cable in them.
[00:23:20.350]So everybody within those communities proper
[00:23:23.750]can get one gig download.
[00:23:25.730]But to the rural part of it,
[00:23:27.970]again, Great Plains has been using that federal funding
[00:23:31.070]and pushing fiber out into Sheridan County
[00:23:33.730]for about the last six or seven years.
[00:23:35.650]So it's getting there.
[00:23:38.070]It just takes time.
[00:23:39.070]And what Anna's working on is getting the money,
[00:23:41.390]as we all know.
[00:23:42.070]You got to get the money to get there.
[00:23:43.830]So for Sheridan County, it's coming.
[00:23:46.110]It's just probably not as quick as everybody wants it.
[00:23:49.090]Yeah, and the Public Service Commission
[00:23:54.030]is planning to use some of this money
[00:23:56.630]to develop a better state broadband map.
[00:24:00.450]And the FCC is developing a better broadband map.
[00:24:03.390]So we will have better data on
[00:24:07.750]where broadband is being provided.
[00:24:09.910]The FCC says that the data
[00:24:13.670]from their new data collection
[00:24:15.930]will be available next month, sometime in November.
[00:24:18.950]And you said that you had that Lincoln listening session.
[00:24:25.610]How are they going to decide who gets what share of money,
[00:24:29.170]rural Nebraska versus cities to small cities
[00:24:33.410]to small towns, small libraries?
[00:24:35.310]How's that going to...
[00:24:37.430]Divide out.
[00:24:39.170]Okay, what money are you talking about?
[00:24:42.570]The couple hundred million you're talking about,
[00:24:47.930]the different funds.
[00:24:49.310]Yeah.
[00:24:50.230]Well, this listening session was just on...
[00:24:54.170]This was more for the digital equity planning grant.
[00:24:58.650]So Bede will probably have its own listening sessions.
[00:25:07.110]We may partner with them on that.
[00:25:08.830]In fact, I suspect we probably will,
[00:25:11.490]that focus more on broadband deployment.
[00:25:15.790]But the state will have to put together
[00:25:21.030]a five-year deployment plan to get the Bede funding.
[00:25:26.090]So they are going to try to get...
[00:25:30.090]The plan is to show how they're going to get everyone connected.
[00:25:36.790]And I had a comment, and if you'd like to jot this down
[00:25:43.690]and see if you can't be in touch with someone
[00:25:46.430]from the Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network.
[00:25:48.470]It's been about 10 years ago,
[00:25:50.930]and our company, Mobius, wrote a $19 million grant
[00:25:54.790]to connect 11 community hospitals and clinics.
[00:25:58.570]And it was in our hopes then, this was for the FCC,
[00:26:01.430]it was in our hopes then that we would be a driving force
[00:26:04.770]in maintaining that network
[00:26:06.470]and then other companies joining us.
[00:26:08.690]And we were awarded that grant.
[00:26:11.930]And then the FCC decided it needed to go out
[00:26:15.290]to a bidding process.
[00:26:16.650]And it did, and a company in Colorado
[00:26:18.610]ended up taking care of that network.
[00:26:20.950]But what that has done in Western Nebraska
[00:26:23.850]is state-of-the-art technology for the hospitals.
[00:26:28.990]And they are using the latest and greatest.
[00:26:32.990]So they're a prime example of a very
[00:26:36.150]rural area, and they have a redundant fiber network,
[00:26:39.330]not just a fiber network.
[00:26:40.890]It is redundant to the hospitals and the clinics.
[00:26:43.450]And I'm not sure, Deb, do you know
[00:26:45.670]who's the head of the rural Nebraska health care network
[00:26:48.810]now?
[00:26:49.210]I do not.
[00:26:51.790]And there used to be an office within the Nebraska department
[00:26:55.510]HHS that was rural health.
[00:26:58.010]And I don't know if that exists anymore either.
[00:27:00.510]Daniel may have a better take on that.
[00:27:04.610]Remember when Denny Barron's?
[00:27:06.150]Was doing rural health stuff.
[00:27:08.710]I honestly don't know where that ended up,
[00:27:12.090]but I do know that Shannon community hospital and our,
[00:27:16.430]our medical clinic here has found tremendous reception doing telehealth
[00:27:22.970]visits and the docs, not only the docs, but, but the patients.
[00:27:28.470]During COVID found it very helpful to be at least be able to talk face to
[00:27:36.150]face with their docs in a safe manner.
[00:27:38.650]So I do think they're using some of that and perhaps should be included as
[00:27:43.490]one of your best practices. And in terms of how that works,
[00:27:47.050]at least in the health realm.
[00:27:48.390]And I think every small community you could tell by the virtue,
[00:27:54.130]by virtue of the number of folks who wanted a dispensation from the public
[00:27:58.430]meetings laws that,
[00:28:00.150]that were able to hold council meetings and important meetings,
[00:28:06.150]that are required by law to be done publicly to be able to do that
[00:28:10.430]virtually now.
[00:28:11.190]And I really think that legislation is coming that we will allow entities
[00:28:15.270]to utilize that form of outreach and,
[00:28:19.870]and participation, if you will,
[00:28:23.170]if that's the word from the public in order to better access,
[00:28:27.150]you know, how government works.
[00:28:29.430]And so I really think that's a huge piece of this, Anne.
[00:28:32.330]And I don't know if the league or anybody in that regard,
[00:28:36.150]has been invited to participate or have weigh in on the policy piece of it.
[00:28:42.770]Certainly every time we talk with our state senators,
[00:28:47.750]there's this big question mark out there.
[00:28:50.970]How much money is available broadband and what can we use it for?
[00:28:54.170]And quite frankly,
[00:28:55.290]the city council members are still a bit overwhelmed or confused about what
[00:29:00.250]they can and can't do with the money.
[00:29:01.730]So my point in saying all of this is I believe what,
[00:29:06.150]or talking about Anne and putting together this plan hopefully helps sort
[00:29:12.390]of put down timelines and ways that that could happen.
[00:29:17.070]Are you in anticipated having sort of a roadmap at the end of this planning
[00:29:21.890]process?
[00:29:22.530]Yeah. Yeah.
[00:29:26.230]I think with both the bead and the state digital equity
[00:29:29.450]plan planning process, we will have, I think I wrote,
[00:29:36.150]a roadmap of where we want to be.
[00:29:37.930]We have to have measurable objectives where we want, where we,
[00:29:42.230]where we are, where we want to be.
[00:29:44.650]Is there still a rural health component within HHS as I may know?
[00:29:52.570]I think there is still an office of Jordan.
[00:29:55.290]Put a link in the chat to the rural Nebraska healthcare network.
[00:30:00.030]Yeah. I could also look, see if there's.
[00:30:06.150]I just know what Western Nebraska has in those 11 counties with their clinics
[00:30:12.150]and hospitals.
[00:30:12.870]They're able to get their x-rays to any Mecca hospital across the United
[00:30:18.290]States in a minute. I mean, it compared to two and a half hours. I mean,
[00:30:23.190]they're, they are leaders in, in healthcare technology.
[00:30:28.870]So I think it would be a great resource for you and for someone out in rural
[00:30:34.230]Nebraska, that's doing.
[00:30:36.150]Phenomenal things to Deb's point about the policy.
[00:30:43.470]That's something I think it's Nebraska that we'd be interested in working on
[00:30:48.950]as well from the standpoint of participation and those public meetings and
[00:30:54.070]that kind of thing. And that's a, that's an interesting piece of this too.
[00:30:58.270]But then I also had a question just about the planning,
[00:31:00.950]those planning and listening sessions. Is that something that like,
[00:31:06.150]if we wanted to like host those,
[00:31:11.170]or we had an ideas for groups that could host those,
[00:31:13.550]we work specifically with the development district.
[00:31:16.550]Is that like our primary contact that we go to them and try to coordinate
[00:31:21.750]when to host something or who to host with?
[00:31:25.010]Yeah, I think that would be the best. I mean, you could also loop me in,
[00:31:30.370]but yeah, I think let's,
[00:31:32.470]let's work with the economic development districts to,
[00:31:36.150]I think this would be a good conversation for a lot of the members that are
[00:31:42.150]involved in the panhandle partnership,
[00:31:43.590]either at a membership meeting or we could,
[00:31:48.190]they could put out an offer for the different system.
[00:31:51.990]They have different like working groups of some of these populations that you
[00:31:58.270]expressed here that they could,
[00:31:59.790]they could host some listening sessions as well.
[00:32:06.150]And this information that she put in the chat box will take you to every
[00:32:08.990]person you need to know. Thank you, Jordan. That's great.
[00:32:11.950]Yeah. Thank you, Jordan.
[00:32:13.290]So, and also if you need any,
[00:32:21.050]any help in setting up listening sessions or looking at particular sites or
[00:32:25.610]populations, you know, calling us in Nebraska extension as well.
[00:32:29.410]So I know we've had a couple of conversations and,
[00:32:31.910]and we're certainly ready and willing and you, you all as, as leaders,
[00:32:36.150]as leaders in your communities,
[00:32:37.050]we're certainly very capable of getting some of that.
[00:32:41.990]Okay. Well, I appreciate that. And I'm sure we will be reaching out.
[00:32:49.110]Yes. Cause we're yes. Still in the very early stages of this.
[00:32:52.570]We don't have our funding yet, but we want to work with all of you.
[00:32:56.330]And these are some great suggestions. You know, I'd like to,
[00:33:00.070]to talk to people at the Shattering Community Hospital about how they're using
[00:33:05.370]telehealth
[00:33:06.150]and I agree that the,
[00:33:09.470]I would love to see the public meeting laws changed on the telehealth as we
[00:33:15.630]all know, that's, that's a tremendous advantage to be able to do that.
[00:33:18.530]Just to share, it's a personal experience. If you will,
[00:33:22.390]you can do the telehealth, you can do meetings, whatever you want.
[00:33:25.950]And this actually happened to me.
[00:33:27.830]I was supposed to see a doc and they wouldn't do telehealth.
[00:33:33.150]I had to drive to Scott's Bluff and then,
[00:33:36.150]then get on the computer and do the telehealth from there.
[00:33:39.610]They would not allow me to do it from home. Same thing, same connection,
[00:33:44.870]but I ended up, had I done that, it would have been a minimum of what is it?
[00:33:48.850]Jenny, Deb, two hour round trip,
[00:33:51.010]a little over two hour round trip for about a 15 minute session.
[00:33:55.010]So not on you and just letting you know,
[00:33:57.330]even though we do have that technology available,
[00:33:59.910]there are some things in the industry and I think it's back to the insurance
[00:34:03.050]that says you have to go to this point.
[00:34:06.150]In order to do it and they won't cover it unless you do it that way.
[00:34:10.010]So even though you can sit at your home,
[00:34:12.190]you still cannot do the telehealth unless you go to a particular office.
[00:34:17.410]I don't know. Is anybody else experienced or heard that?
[00:34:19.570]I can check into that. But when I was talking to Andrew Whitney yesterday,
[00:34:27.870]he didn't say anything about that. It was more,
[00:34:36.150]he was talking about people not having connectivity in their home.
[00:34:39.690]It used to be that way, but I think they,
[00:34:41.850]I can check on that.
[00:34:46.830]This just happened to me this summer and it was a personal experience.
[00:34:50.690]It just happened because I argued with them.
[00:34:54.230]I'm sitting here as I am today at my home on the computer,
[00:34:57.190]watching all you guys. They said, Nope,
[00:34:59.590]you have to come here to regional West and then we'll get online and we'll
[00:35:03.470]talk to the doc in Denver. I said, what's the difference?
[00:35:06.150]And they said, well, insurance or something would not cover it.
[00:35:08.590]I had to go there in order to do it.
[00:35:10.650]I canceled it and went a different direction. So I know it's not you.
[00:35:14.250]I'm just sharing with you. I think telehealth is great,
[00:35:16.630]but there's still some obstacles in there.
[00:35:18.970]Okay.
[00:35:21.030]Well, yeah. And there may be, maybe certain circumstances.
[00:35:26.910]Another group and I've been trying desperately to find the right contact.
[00:35:33.770]So I think a few months,
[00:35:36.150]back there was talk about more or less creating a UNMC at UNK.
[00:35:40.210]And so I had the chance to talk to visit with somebody from the president's
[00:35:45.230]office about that project. And the,
[00:35:47.230]not only is there that facility that would be happening there,
[00:35:50.090]but it's building out the infrastructure so that you can do telehealth from
[00:35:53.790]Atkinson or Ainsworth or wherever you want to zoom in from.
[00:35:57.490]And so I will try to find that, that a contact there.
[00:36:02.130]I think that's you know, if you can have those sessions together and,
[00:36:06.150]and kind of double capture that information both from the as they're
[00:36:12.030]building, building out those pieces,
[00:36:13.830]but as also the broadband components of it.
[00:36:16.290]So I think there's lots of people that are working in this space.
[00:36:20.110]It's just trying to find the right synergy and partnerships and how,
[00:36:23.770]how we work together. I will admit it's kind of boggles my mind,
[00:36:28.950]how the pieces all work together, but I'm excited to learn. So.
[00:36:33.810]Yeah. Well,
[00:36:36.150]and I think, I think NROC is a great sort of middle, middle person.
[00:36:41.210]The Nebraska Economic Developers Association co-hosted along with
[00:36:47.930]Tom Bliss and a bunch of folks within NROC realm,
[00:36:52.490]several sessions about rural connectivity and,
[00:36:57.950]and hosted specialists in the field.
[00:37:01.250]And we had people from communities talking about how they've overcome
[00:37:06.150]some challenges.
[00:37:07.090]And some of that may actually be a moot point by now,
[00:37:11.610]because it's long enough ago that some, some things have happened,
[00:37:14.130]but I think there are folks within that economic development community who
[00:37:19.370]are keeping an eye on this. So,
[00:37:22.010]so the Nebraska Economic Developers Association,
[00:37:25.530]which right now is chaired by Mike Feakin out of St.
[00:37:30.610]Paul, who also works for First Five Nebraska, that group,
[00:37:36.150]has already weighed in to some level on broadband deployment and the
[00:37:42.950]needs. And of course,
[00:37:44.730]NROC did the, and is still probably working on the,
[00:37:49.530]the study of where we truly have gaps in,
[00:37:53.710]in available decent broadband speed. So I think that's,
[00:37:57.730]that was a wise decision to have them involved. But yeah,
[00:38:02.090]this sort of a large type plan I'm sure is not going to,
[00:38:06.150]be as quickly decided or, or put in place as we'd all like.
[00:38:10.950]You know,
[00:38:12.750]we have a situation at the department of economic development where there are
[00:38:16.810]millions of dollars sitting in their lap and they're trying to work out the
[00:38:21.030]plans and the rules and regs as quickly as they can. But again,
[00:38:24.490]having to have some sort of federal approval on so much of this really makes
[00:38:30.210]for a clunky sort of system to, to get this accomplished.
[00:38:33.590]So we appreciate a face that we all,
[00:38:36.150]we all know and you know,
[00:38:38.750]kind of hanging in there and trying to keep this pulled together because it's,
[00:38:42.150]it's a long haul.
[00:38:43.670]It is. It is.
[00:38:46.570]You remember back to the days when Chris Hoy would go around the state and try
[00:38:51.150]to convince people that every business needed to have a PC in their office.
[00:38:55.450]That's how far back I remember this.
[00:38:58.150]And I think Anne you were probably involved in those days when DAS was trying
[00:39:02.550]to figure out how to get people more,
[00:39:06.150]willing to listen about, you know,
[00:39:09.190]adopting the kind of technology that's got to happen if you're going to be
[00:39:13.730]competitive.
[00:39:14.190]Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Those were the dial-up days, I think.
[00:39:20.070]Exactly. Yeah.
[00:39:21.770]I'm going to need to jump off here, but I so appreciate reconnecting Anne.
[00:39:28.150]And I think if you need help from a business community perspective,
[00:39:32.910]give me a call.
[00:39:34.450]I know that the state chamber,
[00:39:36.150]is all over this they're hosting all kinds of meetings with their members.
[00:39:40.210]I think the rural health network network is the exact person to talk to
[00:39:45.570]relative to healthcare policy.
[00:39:47.150]And I really think in terms of getting people together and,
[00:39:53.230]and willing to come participate, our group is,
[00:39:56.710]is good at that as anybody,
[00:39:58.210]particularly if you're looking at the kinds of meetings that Daniel's pulled
[00:40:02.930]together with Siving Nebraska, some of that sort of stuff.
[00:40:05.210]So I don't,
[00:40:06.150]don't hesitate to call us if you need help getting bodies together.
[00:40:09.290]And thanks again for coming on.
[00:40:11.550]Well, thank you for having me. And yeah, if you have questions, you know,
[00:40:15.830]or ideas, please email me.
[00:40:18.770]And I was thinking that we,
[00:40:21.310]it would be really good to have an update in six months too soon.
[00:40:26.290]Is that.
[00:40:26.810]No, no, that, that would be great. Yes. And Marla ag producers. Yes.
[00:40:32.790]I have talked to Bruce Reeker about trying to,
[00:40:36.150]set up a time to talk to some of the ag groups.
[00:40:39.670]So yes.
[00:40:43.750]So that's another, another thing on our to-do list.
[00:40:49.250]Any other questions for Ann? Comments?
[00:40:54.550]Just appreciate Ann,
[00:41:00.110]another focus for you to be excited about and to steer us in the right
[00:41:05.670]direction.
[00:41:06.150]And make sure Nebraska is continuing to be a leader in especially the rural
[00:41:11.510]areas with technology.
[00:41:14.450]Well, thank you. So yeah.
[00:41:17.910]And thank you all for everything that you do to, you know,
[00:41:23.030]improve development opportunities in Nebraska.
[00:41:25.310]And if you will send me your, thanks Deb,
[00:41:32.030]if you need to jump off, thanks. If you would send me your,
[00:41:36.150]your presentation from today, I will put it with our recording.
[00:41:39.650]So folks can see your presentation at their own leisure.
[00:41:43.070]Okay. I'll do that. Well, thank you so much.
[00:41:48.470]And when will you have the recording up from your talk?
[00:41:54.150]You said it might be next week. Okay.
[00:41:58.610]Thank you. I think next week I have my calendars a little bit more free.
[00:42:03.470]So,
[00:42:06.150]that's what I'm going to shoot for.
[00:42:07.410]Awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time, Anne.
[00:42:12.210]We sure enjoyed having you back again. Yeah.
[00:42:15.090]It was good to see many of you and to, to meet some of you new people.
[00:42:19.770]So, okay. Take care.
[00:42:22.330]Yep.
[00:42:23.010]Bye.
[00:42:23.510]Thank you.

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