A broadband study in the eighteen counties of the New North region began in early fall of 2021
- Asset Assessment and Analysis — A county by county analysis of demographic data, tower,
broadband, and fiber assets in each county, identification of underserved and unserved areas of
each county, and broadband technology systems available in each county (e.g. fiber, DSL, cable
Internet, wireless, etc.).. - Market, Current Use, and Gap Analysis — A county by county review of current service
provider service offerings, speeds, and prices for those services and what bandwidth is
available. - Broadband Surveys — A residential broadband survey and a business broadband survey was
distributed to every postal address in all eighteen counties. Respondents were invited to fill out
the survey on paper or by completing the survey via a Web form. More than 17,000 responses
were received. As part of the survey work, an interactive online speed test was used to collect
real time tests of actual upload and download speeds. This online speed test will continue
collecting data in 2022. - Connectivity Solutions — This section provides an overview of various technologies, including
both broadband wireless and broadband fiber. - Regional Middle Mile Strategy — A regional middle mile strategy is proposed to help
accelerate the build out of fiber to the home and fiber to the business, particularly in
underserved and unserved areas of the region. The middle mile network can also substantially
improve current and future fixed point wireless broadband services. - Infrastructure Funding and Grant Opportunities — A discussion of a variety of grant
and funding strategies. - Risks, Legal, and Regulatory Considerations — A review of potential risks in
making broadband investments, and legal and regulatory considerations. - Network Operations Considerations – An analysis of tasks and activities associated
with working with ISPs and WISPs, and key tasks and activities that would be associated with
regional middle mile network.
The survey data collected as part of this study indicates that residents and businesses are anxious
for better Internet service. Because a very large number of often passionate comments were
received, they have been included in a separate document. - 50% of respondents are “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with their current Internet speeds,
and 88% of residents are interested in faster and more reliable Internet service. - 96% believe that New North and/or the local governments should help facilitate better Internet
access. - 35% of residents report the quality of Internet service is affecting where they choose to live.
- 98% of businesses indicated that the Internet is important to the success of their business.
- 71% of businesses reported that they need employees able to work from home.