III. Supply Infrastructure

A. Pre-Project Status

Preliminary Infrastructure Mapping List
Roads	Antenna
Parcel data	Radio
Land Cover	Cell towers
Population	CDF towers
Demographics	Public safety/emergency services towers
Land use	Fiber routes
Schools / Hospitals	Territories and switches
Community Service Districts	Power grid info
Fire districts

B. Providers

Broadband Wireline Provider (ISP)	Wireless Providers (WISP)	Satellite Providers	Dial-up
ATT	Clearwire	Earthlink	Big Valley
Calaveras Telephone	Mother Lode Internet (future plans)	Hughes.net	Central House
Comcast	Rapid Link	Starband	Earth Link
Goldrush	Sonnet	Wild Blue/Dish	Frontier
Hub3	ThrockWISP		Frys.com
Markleenet	REMNet		Great Basin
Mother Lode Internet	hStar.net		Inreach.com
Sierra Telephone	BitsStar		MSN
Sonnet			People PC
Verizon			Sonnet
Volcano Communications			lakedonpedro.net

E. First Mile Rating and Ranking

The CSC project is utilizing the Geographic Information System (GIS) layers compiled for the five-county region for First Mile rating and ranking. The analysis to date has not been completed as some GIS layers are nearing review and completion, as well as possible enhancement with future public input regarding the current coverage.

1. Broadband Service Providers

The service providers within the study area are fairly limited, though many service territories have not been mapped accurately. Service provider data will also be derived from the CSC residential and business surveys, as some ISPs have not made their territories available to CSC. There are also challenges in accurately mapping the WISPs in the region due to the varying terrain and lack of information provided to the CSC. Satellite broadband will not be included in the analysis per the First Mile recommendations: “We do not advocate counting satellite broadband as part of the deployed service base in our measurement criteria” (1). The number of service providers ranking method will be compiled in a GIS layer which will be used to overlay with other factors (pricing, coverage, speed and backhaul)

Examples of ISPs from the surveys can be seen in Figures 3.D.1A.


Figure 3.D.1A – Residential survey results

2. Price

Pricing has also been compiling from both the residential and business surveys and will be enhanced by additional public input. Based on available information, the comparison pricing method will be utiized with the urban area of Los Angeles. These results will also be mapped in a separate layer and overlaid with the other factors.

3. Coverage

Broadband coverage within the territories will be derived from current survey data and enhanced by the future public input phase (crowdsourcing).  The only current coverage layer CSC has obtained is from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and is not classified to correspond to the First Mile ranking specifications (768K up or down). In the existing CSC database there is data about business and residents served by central office (CO) which can help identify broadband penetration.

4. Highest Upload/Download Speed

The basis of analyzing highest upload and download speed will be the CPUC GIS layer of existing broadband but it will also be possible to classify the survey results to enhance this data layer for more accurate ranking. There have been a few discrepancies already noted with the CPUC layer, with central office locations and estimated broadband speed.

5. Backhaul/Middle Mile Availability

This will be the most challenging factor to map due to the lack of availalbity of this information. The CENIC backhaul information will serve as the basis of the analysis, in addition to existing survey results and the future crowdsourcing survey.

6. Summary of Broadband Supply

The final ranking will be attempted at the census block level which is the most accurate and available information CSC has been able to develop. All uninhabited areas within public lands will automatically receive a ranking of 0. This method will help isolate uninhabited areas versus unserved/underserved areas with potential consumers. 

F. Crowdsourcing Map of Local Broadband Coverage

1. Methodology

The methodology to be used for the crowdsourcing map is to gather as much public input of available broadband coverage of the local region as possible. The biggest challenge faced in this project was gathering accurate broadband speed data from local ISPs. Upon deployment of the application, residents and buseinsses within the local region and input their location, broadband speed, ISP and service satisfaction.

2. Providers, Coverage, Satisfaction

The residential and business surveys were mapped (if locational information was provided) and analysis of coverage, satisfaction and other demographic information can be derived from this data. The crowdsourcing input will enhance the analysis allowing the creation of a more accurate broadband speed boundary.

3. Analysis and Implications

Initial results have shown that the CPUC boundary of broadband speed and the “underserved” population are not accuratgely placed and it may be possible to better identify those in the five-county region who need broadband access.