On Saturday, March 6 NextGenWeb live streamed the NaCo Technology Summit. Click below to watch archived footage of the summit.

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Broadband can be a key player in driving the United States towards a new “Green Economy.” That was the message delivered by four organizations on Capitol Hill this week. The Progressive States Network, in collaboration with the Blue Green Alliance, the Sierra Club and Communications Workers of America, unveiled a new report titled, “Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future.”

Nathan Newman, Executive Director of the Progressive States Network, said that broadband can reduce energy in various ways, including smart meters in homes and businesses, telehealth, teleconference and telecommuting, and e-commerce. Newman also stressed the immense cost savings that broadband would bring in these same sectors. See NGW’s interview with Newman below.

Annie Hill, Executive Vice President for the Communications Workers of America, carried a jobs message and said that increased broadband deployment brings with it immense opportunity for gainful employment. “Investment in the green economy is the job creator of the 21st century, and broadband is part of that investment,” Hill said.

Allison Chin, President of the Sierra Club, discussed broadband and smart meters. Chin stressed the importance of ubiquitous broadband so that all consumers can track their energy usage, and in turn be more energy efficient. Check out NGW’s interview with the Sierra Club President below.

As the event drew to a close, Congressman Ed Markey, Chairman of the US House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, congratulated the organizations for their work on the report. He stressed the importance of the transition to a new green economy, and the fundamental role broadband will play in that transition.

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FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and his team gathered at the University of Chicago yesterday afternoon for a field hearing on broadband and small businesses.  Genachowski kicked off the event by sharing the three reasons that he believes broadband is the key to opportunity in the 21^st century:

1)   Broadband is vital for economic growth, job creation and small business startups.

2)   Broadband is an essential platform for driving success with other opportunities like health care and energy.

3)   Broadband will be our platform for civic engagement and improved government services.

Not surprising with his background as an entrepreneur, the Chairman believes that small businesses are the engine of our economy.  “Broadband enables small businesses to reach new customers and new audiences, five miles away or 500 miles away.”  Just a few of the benefits of broadband that he mentioned, which many of the panelists echoed, include reducing costs, increasing profits and creating new jobs.

Panelists shared their diverse experiences and what they hope to see in the National Broadband Plan.  Representatives from government, tech startups, nonprofits, law offices and more, all discussed how they rely on broadband to do business.  Many would like to keep up with technology and told the FCC that they need strong broadband networks that will accommodate large files, video transmissions and a booming mobile market—all of which makes a strong case for ensuring any policy changes continue to support vigorous investment in broadband networks.

Broadband has created unprecedented opportunities for small business across our nation.  Here’s hoping the National Broadband Plan supports and continues this progress that is creating jobs across our nation. Hear are some recent postings on NextGenWeb that relate to broadband and small businesses that we hope the FCC will consider in light of today’s discussion:

• Broadband Mayor Graham Richard talks about how broadband drives economic growth
• Small business owner and President of RI Tech Council guest posting on broadband and small businesses
• NextGenWeb interviews founder of Genius Federation, a nonprofit dedicated to minority entrepreneurship

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NextGenWeb recently traveled to Sacramento, CA to live stream the CA Opportunity Online Broadband Summit sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and supported by Connected Nation and the California State Library.

While at the summit, we had the chance to sit down with Graham Richard, former mayor of Fort Wayne, IN. Mayor Richard delivered a keynote address at the summit. During our interview, Richard discusses how broadband played a vital role in driving economic growth in Fort Wayne during his tenure.

Click below to watch the interview.

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NextGenWeb recently traveled to Sacramento, CA to live stream the California Opportunity Online Broadband Summit sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in partnership with Connected Nation and the California State Library. Click below to watch archived footage from the summit.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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Jeff Deckman
President, Capability Accelerators, and former chair of the Rhode Island Technology Council
Providence, RI

As a small business owner in Rhode Island, I was encouraged to hear about President Obama’s Jobs Summit. In a previous blog for NextGenWeb, I detailed the integral role broadband has played in how I operate my business. Not only have I experienced these benefits first-hand, I am an independent business advisor and have seen the innovative ways other business owners I advise are using broadband to grow their business and create new jobs.

During this challenging time for our nation’s economy, we are poised for a promising economic transformation made possible by the power of broadband. We have heard the President and other members of his cabinet emphasize the role broadband plays in job creation and I expect it was a central part of the summit discussions among top business and labor leaders inside the White House.

Green job creation, health IT technology that creates jobs and reduces health care costs, expanded educational opportunities to give more people access to job opportunities, broadband is the common denominator making all of this possible. I pay close attention to these developments having served as the chair of the Rhode Island Technology Council. Recent studies have shown that an accelerated broadband push would provide a nationwide economic stimulus of $134 billion while creating 2.4 million new jobs. While all of the competing studies out there in the public domain may come up with different facts and figures, they all show that broadband is a job-creation MVP.

Broadband providers invest significant capital in infrastructure that has positive ramifications throughout the U.S. economy. The public and private sector, elected officials, business and community leaders must all work together to ensure we have the right policies in place that will continue to foster the private investment necessary to help our economy realize the full potential of broadband. It is essential to the future of my business, my state, and our nation’s economic future.

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A group of governors and state lawmakers have written letters to the FCC expressing concern about proposed new net neutrality rules. Here are some highlights:

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
• “The exponential growth of the Internet has flourished as a result of both the government’s ‘hand’s off’ approach, ever increasing competition, as well as high consumer demand. Over regulation of the Internet will interfere with future investment and innovations benefiting the health and well-being of its end user customers. Internet users should be given a choice when it comes to selecting a broadband connection that will meet their current and future needs for speed, reliability, quality of service, and capabilities not yet envisioned.”

Governor Bob Riley, Alabama
• “I agree with your stated goal of ensuring the Internet remains an open platform that promotes innovation, investment and competition. However, as you and your fellow Commissioners deliberate over proposed rules I caution you to consider the potential unintended consequences Net Neutrality regulations could have on stifling the very private sector investment and innovation we both value.”

Governor Janice Brewer, Arizona
• “Regulation would deepen the digital divide, negatively impacting underserved communities by delaying the deployment of high speed networks by America’s telecommunications and cable providers. Net neutrality would slow the deployment of infrastructure and new technologies that our nation needs to be competitive. It’s simply bad public policy.”

Governor Mike Beebe, Arkansas
• “I respectfully urge caution as the FCC conducts a rulemaking about network neutrality. I believe there is a very real risk of investment and innovation actually being stifled by unwarranted government intrusions into a process that has flourished under rules set by the market. I found it curious that the FCC intends to expand the network neutrality concepts to the wireless market. I cant think of another marketplace where customers win so regularly through lower prices and more features – in large part because the industry has been lightly regulated and is so competitive.”

Governor Jack Markell, Delaware
• “I spent much of my career in the private sector working to finance and build innovative wireline and wireless communications networks. I understand the challenges of capital formation. I also understand that innovation and differentiation by networks can be just as important as innovation and differentiation on “the edge.”

Governor Martin O’Malley, Maryland
• “I urge the FCC to consider how its proposals for new regulations will affect competition and investments, especially in states such as Maryland where technology-related jobs are critical to our economy. In addition, Maryland is deeply interested in ensuring that the rules, especially as they related to wireless service, do no hamper carriers’ network management efforts to ensure that customers have secure, reliable and innovation services. Lastly, any regulations put forth by the FCC should assure that the public interest products and services, especially relating to health, education, and public safety are given the attention and prioritization necessary to preserve public welfare.

Governor Haley Barbour, Mississippi
• “Over the past several years, the FCC has debated how — or whether — to regulate the host of new infrastructure technologies, data technologies and Web platforms that we now use every day. I believe rushing into network neutrality regulation could hamper the innovation, entrepreneurship and competition that marks today’s communications markets. I have long been an advocate for investing in infrastructure as a way to generate jobs and economic growth. The Internet has grown largely as the result of private sector investment in 21st century infrastructure. It is not just the jobs directly related to new Internet investments, but also the jobs made possible by advanced network capabilities that in a rural state like Mississippi allow good jobs to be created in cities and towns large and small.”

Governor Jay Nixon, Missouri
• “I encourage the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to proceed with caution as it considers any rulemaking regarding net neutrality and extending its principles to the wireless market. As it moves forward, the FCC must ensure that sufficient regulatory flexibility for service providers remains so that efforts to continue the communications advances that rural and low-income populations have only recently begun to enjoy are not undermined. I believe we can all agree that our regulatory framework must foster a climate that encourages Internet investment and innovation. Such an environment, one based on the public and private sectors working together in common purpose, is crucial to my state and our nation’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.”

Governor Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania
• “But as the leader of a state that needs to promote hundreds of millions of dollars of ongoing investment by private companies to bring our citizens the fastest, most advanced broadband networks, I want to urge you to move with the utmost care…We need network providers to keep improving networks and competing with each other. Any regulations that might have unintended consequences – that might seriously curtail innovation and investment by network providers [of that may force network providers to raise prices] need to be avoided.”

Governor Beverley Perdue, North Carolina
• “The FCC’s concept of the “Four Freedoms,” and the manner in which it has been administered, have created a flourishing and competitive marketplace that has benefitted consumers. I would urge you and your colleagues to proceed cautiously and incrementally in considering any changes to the regulatory principles that have served the country so well.”

Governor Brad Henry, Oklahoma
• “A consistent infusion of investment capital in new technology by a variety of communications providers has been a significant factor in this growth in broadband and wireless services in Oklahoma. This capital has also created job opportunities for more Oklahomans who are needed to build and maintain networks and sell these new services.”

Governor Rick Perry, Texas
• “I am concerned that the FCC’s recent call for increased government management of the Internet under the guise of “Network Neutrality” could have the opposite effect. Adding new layers of federal bureaucracy and regulations without a clear and compelling need for such onesize- fits-all government mandates will only discourage companies from investing in Texas and could have negative ramifications on what we have worked so hard to accomplish here. The creation of additional uncertainty, costs and disincentives to investment and job creation is the last thing our nation needs in the current economic climate.”

Public Service Commissioner, Kevin Cramer, North Dakota
• “With respect to net neutrality, it is critical the Commission examine market data for evidence of a quantifiable problem. For too long, this debate has been about competing Internet ideologies rather than a conversation rooted in demonstrable fact. A state regulatory Commission could never make rules solely on the basis of alleged competition or lack thereof; I hope the FCC will pursue that same standard of rigorous analysis.”

Governor Mark Parkinson, Kansas
• “We have a responsibility to clear the path for individuals to access the possibilities the Internet offers. Kansas is a largely rural state, and wireless technology is a key component to making broadband available in some of our least densely populated areas. Respectifully, I would urge caution as the FCC conducts a rule-making study as to avoid unwarranted consequences that may disrupt progress.”

Governor Sonny Perdue, Georgia
• “It is important that the FCC encourage the continued growth of these vital industries by avoiding Net neutrality regulation of broadband deployment. The FCC should focus on providing incentives to get faster broadband deployed throughout the nation. Smart policies, centered on letting the competitive marketplace operate unhindered by intrusive Net neutrality regulations, will result in additional investment, high paying local jobs and the deployment of new technology.”

The National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• “The $63 billion invested last year in broadband infrastructure by the telecommunications industry was five times the amount spent by the federal government on broadband, according to the Communications Workers of America. Moreover, the ‘cost to make broadband universally available…falls in the $20-350 billion range,’ according to the Commission’s Broadband Task Force.1 A broad and open-ended rulemaking on net neutrality rules at this point in our struggling economy could only work to discourage and stifle this level of necessary investment in broadband infrastructure. Encouraging broadband deployment is critical to our national recovery, as it is the very platform which encourages job creation, application and content innovation, increasing efficiencies in manufacturing, and the promotion of consumer and community well-being through the use of online healthcare, education and entertainment resources.”

Attorney General Jon Bruning, Nebraska
• “I’m writing today to urge you to proceed deliberately and cautiously as the Federal Communications Commission considers any rulemaking regarding net neutrality. Expanding network neutrality to the wireless market may stifle competition and discourage private investment. It is clear that private sector investment has led to increased competition, the result of which is a better, faster online experience for consumers. We must continue to encourage success and innovation in broadband through thoughtful policies that don’t over-regulate or encumber investment.”

The National Foundation for Women Legislators
• “If net neutrality principles are codified and adopted, we will be taking a step backward. It would limit the innovation in how broadband services are delivered and who pays for them. Net neutrality will force one model on everyone – one in which the consumer will pick up the tab. That will make the service even further out of reach financially for too many consumers.”

Governor Jon Corzine, New Jersey
• “The rules must create the right incentives for continuing to invest in the Internet’s infrastructure. Regulations that have the effect of discouraging investment by network providers, those who have constructed our nation’s information superhighway, should be avoided. Our broadband networks operate less efficiently than those of other nations; we need rules that help close this gap and support continuing innovation.”

Elia Germani, Chairman of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission
• “The Internet has been a powerful engine for innovation, investment in new technologies, and jobs creation across Rhode Island and our country. It is imperative that we maintain the continued investment by phone, cable, cellular, electric and other providers in broadband networks that will ensure healthy competition and continue to drive down prices. I fear that any new network neutrality regulation could severely impede that spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that is the hallmark of the existing telecommunications marketplace.”

Representative Barbara Ballard, Kansas
• “Like much of the country, Kansas has suffered from a decrease in capital investment and slowed job growth. I strongly support President Obama’s vision to create new jobs and we must create opportunities that keep us on a positive trajectory for growth. Net neutrality regulation runs contrary to this agenda.”

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J. Chris Baker
Senior Vice-President & CIO, San Diego Gas & Electric

As a utility executive and a technologist, I am seeing the communications industry and the energy industry come together in a way that I have not seen before. Nowhere is this intersection between technology and energy more apparent than in my hometown of San Diego, which is fast becoming the epicenter of a thing called smart grid.

What is a smart grid? While many definitions exist, I like to describe it as the convergence of information technologies, grid technologies, process automation, and communication technologies to build intelligence into the energy system. These attributes are absolutely necessary to support the integration of new renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, distributed generation such as rooftop solar panels on thousands of homes and businesses, electric vehicles, customer-side demand management, smart home technologies, and grid self-healing capabilities.

So why here, in San Diego, and why now?

Southern California has a unique set of conditions that place us at the forefront of a national–if not international–initiative to modernize and automate energy grid functions.

First, we have a very tech savvy population with San Diego ranked number two in the nation for broadband Internet adoption, according to the January 2009 issue of Forbes. And when it comes to the wireless industry, Southern California is world-class.

Second, San Diego is seeing an influx of renewable power, like solar and wind, and these place new challenges on our energy infrastructure. Specifically, San Diego Gas & Electric must be able to make up for these resources when the sun suddenly stops shining or the wind stops blowing. San Diego currently has over 6,600 solar roofs on its homes and businesses, which is more than any other city in California. Last year alone, San Diego Gas & Electric installed 16 megawatts of solar, and we are also developing new wind projects in our mountains including a recently announced project that could provide up to 120 megawatts of energy.

A third factor is Southern California’s early adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles which also place a set of new demands on the energy system.

Sempra Energy’s two utilities–San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company–provide energy to 23 million people across 24,000 square miles of Southern California. How we serve these customers and fulfill our mission is in the midst of a dramatic transformation. In fact, we expect the next 10 years will hold more changes than the past century!

Fortunately, the Sempra Energy utilities have been investing in technology and establishing best practices to position our organization to lead the industry through this shift.

To specifically advance our smart grid transformation, we have re-engineered many technology and infrastructure systems installing electronic sensors in several substations, trialing new automation technologies that are moving us toward a self-healing grid, and more.

San Diego Gas & Electric will be the first utility in the U.S. to complete installation of smart meters that have full two-way communications, in-home control and remote connect/disconnect capabilities. Roll-out has begun and 1.4 million smart meters will be installed across the service territory by 2011.

The utility is also involved in numerous electric vehicle projects and new transportation technologies to provide this growing transportation sector with the energy infrastructure it will need.

Our industry has begun a massive shift from a static “pipes and wires” approach in communications to a networked, automated and sophisticated real-time communications architecture. And in that shift, wireless communication becomes absolutely essential: The smart grid will be built on a foundation of robust, secure, and pervasive wireless services.

To illustrate, San Diego Gas & Electric’s energy grid has approximately 220,000 wood poles, 160,000 transformers, 18,000 miles of overhead and underground lines, more than 14,000 structures, and 275 substations. These assets are spread across a service territory that ranges from dense urban centers to sparsely populated rural communities, mountain peaks as high as 7,000 feet and deserts that dip below sea level.

Initially hundreds, then thousands and possibly millions of sensors will be installed across these miles. And the only way to communicate with these assets cost-effectively and reliably is with wireless technology.

San Diego Gas & Electric currently uses wireless communication across the utility and has relied on it and our friends in the wireless industry for years.

During the 2007 California wildfires, we called upon wireless communication in a new way to overcome a major crisis. We lost 1,800 utility poles and 35 miles of powerlines, thousands of customers were without power, and we’d lost voice and data communications too.

To support San Diego Gas & Electric’s emergency response, three innovative wireless solutions were developed by the utility’s IT group and worked beautifully. The first was in partnership with San Diego company Proximetry and included a seven-mile point-to-point 802.11a wireless communication link with 802.11 b and g hotspots supporting VoIP and data communication between temporary command centers and our data center. This solution restored high-bandwidth communication for our field employees within only days and was critical to restoring power for our customers.

The second wireless solution was in partnership with Tachyon and included satellite communications that brought several of the more remote communities back into the network.

The third solution was mobile. Through a pre-existing mutual cooperation initiative with the San Diego County Regional Communications System, we were able to integrate our 900 MHz mobile communications with the county’s 800 MHz public safety network. This provided interoperability and communication between public safety and utility personnel.

That’s an extreme example. But our utility communications serve a system that is under regular stress every day due to San Diego’s location at an energy cul-de-sac, constrained by a transmission system that places us, literally at the end of the line. This makes balancing load and generation a tightrope walk.

To complicate the situation, San Diego Gas & Electric is increasing its reliance on renewables such as wind and solar energy. State regulators have set a target for all California utilities to secure 20% of our energy from renewable sources in 2010, and we have gone above and beyond that to voluntarily adopt a target of 33% by 2020. To manage this shift without jeopardizing reliability given the intermittent nature of sunshine and wind power, we require a rock-solid communications backbone. We need to be able to redistribute load or switch to stored energy the minute a cloud passes over the sun or the wind drops.

These constraints make our smart grid vision imperative and, in fact, mission critical.

As a smart grid leader, our communications challenges are sure to be faced in the near future by other utilities around the country as they follow in our footsteps, including:

Coverage

Smart grid applications will need wireless coverage over 100% of our grid assets and 100% of our customer locations. That’s a tall order. Today’s 3G wireless service leaves gaps in our service territory that must be filled.

Capacity

Even though each endpoint may not consume or produce much capacity, when you’ve got millions of them online it adds up pretty quickly.

Performance

Any way you want to measure performance – latency, availability, peak throughput – we are going to need a new level of wireless performance for smart grid.

Security

The energy grid has always been critical national infrastructure and the smart grid even more so. As we add computing and communication nodes to our energy grid, we have got to be sure we’ve taken security and system integrity into account.

And, of course, cost is an important criterion as we evaluate our options.

Within the next decade, smart grids will be the norm—but the sooner we can address the communications needs of the grid, the sooner we can achieve this vision.

We recently submitted two Recovery Act stimulus applications to accelerate our smart grid vision, and like many of you, are awaiting word on the applications.

One is for a next-generation wireless network. It will serve as our pervasive communications backbone for San Diego Gas & Electric’s current, pending and future smart grid initiatives.

The second project is a demonstration that will connect our existing microgrid project in the Borrego Springs desert to the University of California, San Diego’s industrial microgrid at its La Jolla campus and allow the utility to demonstrate new smart grid best practices and technologies based on its existing smart grid foundation.

This is an exciting time for both the wireless and energy industries, and exciting times in San Diego County particularly. We have made a great start on the smart grid future here in Southern California. And we have some great partners in the communications industry.

One of the things I have been trying to get across in this blog post is a call to action for more robust, more pervasive wireless services. I think you’ll hear that call to action everywhere in the US – every utility will be looking for the same thing.

Today’s 3G wireless services have been incredibly useful in our mission, but we all need to step up our game for smart grid. 4G wireless can, in fact, become the foundation for smart grid, but only when it is deployed with the characteristics I’ve described above. Together, the communication and energy industries have an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate and build a great future for this region and for the nation. I for one am looking forward to that.

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Connected Nation’s Tennessee program recently donated 20 brand new Dell computers to the Saint John Baptist Church After-School Program in Haywood County, a program that is serving as a hub of connectivity to a community with limited access to broadband technology. Currently, the program has 31 kids signed up to participate, but hopes to eventually be able to open its’ doors to at least 200 – 300 children. The program also plans to ultimately welcome the entire community to come and use the computers at designated hours throughout the week. A great story in connectivity and broadband empowerment.

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As the health care debate continues, we were fortunate to spend some time with Tim Olivier, who has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry. As Chief Operating Officer of the Healthcare Industry Group at Perot Systems, Mr. Oliver talked with us about the critical role broadband plays in improving the quality of care for patients while lowering costs for the system. To learn more about the Mass Connector, visit their website by clicking here.

And be sure to check out our interview below.

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