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' Executive'Summary'

Report'to'Gig.U'Member'University'Communities'on'Responses'to'their'Request'for' Information' February!13,!2012!

The!first!phase!of!this!project!was!designed!as!a!preliminary!market!check!on!behalf!of!Gig.U!member! university!communities!and!intended!to!promote!the!mission!of!Gig.U.!Highlights!from!responses!to!the! Gig.U!Request!for!Information!(RFI)!include:! A!majority!of!members!are!at!least!partially!served!by!three!or!more!national!carriers!who! responded!to!the!RFI,!and!28!out!of!37!are!served!by!two!or!more.! Respondents!are!willing!to!help!fund!and!operate!networks!for!communities!or!work!to!pursue! financing!or!other!fundraising!commitments! o One!consortium!of!respondents!indicated!they!had!lined!up!significant!support!to!fund! their!solution!in!as!many!as!10!to!15!communities!!! ! Key!themes!from!the!RFI!process!include:! There!is!strong!private!sector!interest!in!working!with!university!and!community!partners!to!break! traditional!molds!to!deploy!next!generation!communications!infrastructure;! Network!deployment!or!upgrade!investment!analyses!depend!on!expectations!of!decreased! operating!costs!and!increased!expected!revenue!including!availability!of!fiber!and!other!market! advantages;! Potential!vendors!need!more!communityVspecific!information!about!proposed!use!cases!and! preferences!as!well!as!more!community!involvement;! Gig.U!is!an!attractive!platform!to!develop!test!beds!for!innovative!technologies;!and! Gig.U!is!an!important!platform!to!take!advantage!of!economies!of!scale!and!scope.! ! To!move!forward,!Gig.U!communities!should!define!their!respective!preferences!and!priorities,!which! will!inform!the!range!of!options!available!to!those!communities.!The!key!questions!for!identifying!these! preferences!and!priorities!include:! What!network!infrastructure!assets!are!available!and!who!owns!them?! Where!is!the!demand!for!next!generation!networks!and!services,!geographically?!Who!makes!up! that!demand!profile,!demographically!and!institutionally?! o Are!there!policy!or!other!priorities!that!will!influence!your!communitys!answers!to!these! questions?! o Can!the!community!encourage!residents,!businesses!and!other!institutions!to!preVcommit! to!services! What!is!the!regulatory!environment!in!the!community,!and!what!incentives!exist!or!are! negotiable?! What!use!cases!particularly!interest!the!community!and!could!drive!the!demand!(e.g.!Health!care,! energy!management,!etc.)?! Answering!these!questions!and!moving!forward!towards!the!goal!of!accelerating!next!generation! networks!and!services!will!require!support!from!the!right!local!stakeholders.!! !

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There!are!several!paths!forward!that!communities!may!take!to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next! generation!networks!and!services.!These!paths!may!be!complementary:! Local!community!followVup!and!actionlocally!administered!competitive!processes!or!direct! negotiations!with!particular!vendors,! National!outreacha!limited!national!effort!focused!on!targeted!messaging!and!awareness,!and! National!actionongoing!collaboration!between!communities,!coordinated!at!a!national!level,! may!allow!members!to!share!certain!costs!or!brings!advantages!of!standardization!and!scope.! ! Next!steps! February:!community!selfVchecks!and!meetings,!ongoing!vendor!engagement! March:!Vendor!meeting! April:!Final!commitments!for!Phase!II!due,!if!applicable!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

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About Gig.U Gig.U!is!a!broadVbased!group!of!37!universities!and!communities!across!the!country!working!in!an!effort! to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next!generation!networks!and!services!by!using!university!communities! as!testVbeds.!!Gig.U!is!a!project!of!the!Communications!and!Society!Program!of!the!Aspen!Institute.!The! Communications!and!Society!Program!serves!as!a!nonVpartisan!venue!for!global!leaders!and!experts!to! exchange!insights!on!the!societal!impact!of!advances!in!digital!technology!and!network!communications.! It!also!creates!a!multidisciplinary!space!in!the!communications!policyVmaking!world!where!veteran!and! emerging!decisionVmakers!can!explore!new!concepts!and!develop!new!policy!networks.!!

! !

For!additional!information,!please!contact!Ellen!Satterwhite,!Gig.U!Program!Director!! (esatterwhite@gigVu.org).!

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' Table'of'Contents'
I.! Introduction'.....................................................................................................................'5! II.! Background'of'Gig.U'........................................................................................................'6! University'communities,'a'place'to'change'the'math'.......................................................................'8! Benefits'to'communities'from'next'generation'networks' ................................................................'9! . Figure!1:!Uses!of!UltraVHigh!Speed!Networks!.....................................................................................!9! III.! Responses'to'the'RFI:'Understanding'the'Opportunities'...............................................'12! Figure!2:!Respondents!to!the!RFI!by!Category!..................................................................................!12! Figure!3:!Incumbent!Responses!to!the!RFI!........................................................................................!13! Figure!4:!Notable!New!Entrant!Response!to!the!RFI!.........................................................................!13! Figure!5:!Open!Service!Model!Responses!to!the!RFI!.........................................................................!14! Figure!6:!MultiVDwelling!Unit!Strategies!in!Response!to!the!RFI!......................................................!14! IV.! Gig.U'RFI'Process:'Key'Themes'.....................................................................................'15!
Figure!7:!Potential!Community!and!University!Actions!to!Reduce!Expected!Costs!and!Raise! Expected!Revenues!...........................................................................................................................!17! Figure!8:!Community!and!University!Preferences!Will!Define!the!Range!of!Acceptable!Options!....!19!

V.! Potential'Paths'Forward'................................................................................................'21! Figure!9:!Potential!Organizational!Structures!for!Collaboration!.......................................................!22! VI.! Next'Steps:'Defining'Community'Priorities'and'Moving'Forward'..................................'23! Attachment'A:'Frequently'Asked'Vendor'Questions'and'Gig.U'Answers'...............................'25! Attachment'B:'Selected'Articles'about'Gig.U'........................................................................'37! ! !

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I.

Introduction'

In!the!last!two!decades,!one!of!the!biggest!shifts!in!the!economy!is!the!growing!importance!of,! and!innovations!based!upon,!Big!Data.!The!nature!of!work!and!our!economy!has!been! transformed!by!the!ability!to!generate,!store,!analyze!and!act!upon!trillions!of!data!points! previously!unavailable.!With!RFID!chips,!UPC!barcode!scans,!GPSVgenerated!location!data,! temperature!readings!from!HVAC!systems,!industrial!plant!monitoring,!remote!medical!devices,! motionVsensing!gaming!and!automotive!sensor!readings,!we!generate!enormous!static!and! streaming!data!sets.!These!massive!amounts!of!data!have!created!operational!efficiencies!and! revenue!enhancements!for!existing!industries.!But!they've!also!created!entirely!new! opportunities!for!industries!to!capture!and!exchange!data,!enabling!them!to!collaborate!with! local!and!nonVlocal!sources.!This!changethe!knowledge!exchange!revolutionaffects!every! sector!of!the!economy;!from!construction!to!agriculture;!from!manufacturing!to!retail.! ! To!be!able!to!engage!in!realVtime!collaboration!based!on!Big!Data!generally!requires!some! network!capabilities!that!are!not!currently!available!on!a!commercially!reasonable!basis!in!the! United!StatesBig!Bandwidth.!Other!countries!understand!the!potential!for!these!networks,! and!they!are!not!waiting.!In!Korea,!Japan,!the!United!Kingdom!and!other!places!throughout!Asia! and!Europe,!there!have!been!announcements!of!massive!wire!line!upgrades!and!investments!in! next!generation!network!speeds.! ! To#compete#on#the#world#stageand$rekindle!our$economy$in$the$face$of$the$financial$crisis$that$ shook%its%foundations%in%2008American)communities!must%harness'these'computing*and* networking*revolutions!to#innovate#in#their#local#economies."The$question$is,$how?"The"answer" is#complex,#but#ultimately#begins#by#enabling#the#exchange#of#informationenabling(the( common%collaborative%platform%for%both%the%economy%and%society.%It%begins%with%enabling%a" network(that(is(constantly(more(robust,(more(effective(and(faster.(It#begins#with#Big#Bandwidth.! ! As!communities!plan!for!their!futures,!many!are!intent!on!pursuing!a!cluster!strategy,!as! articulated!by!Harvard!Business!School!Professor!Michael!Porter.!This!theory!suggests!that! geographic,!cultural!and!institutional!proximity!provides!companies!with!special!access,!better! information!and!other!advantages!that!are!difficult!to!replicate!at!a!distance.!Porter!believes! the!more!complex,!knowledgeVbased,!and!dynamic!the!world!economy!becomes,!the!more!this! is!true.!Last!spring!Porter!published!a!paper!that!found!that!industries!participating!in!a!strong! cluster!register!higher!employment!growth!as!well!as!higher!growth!of!wages,!number!of! establishments,!and!patenting,!as!well!as!promoting!related!clusters!in!the!region!and!similar! clusters!in!adjacent!regions.!The!paper!also!finds!that!new!industries!emerge!where!there!is!a! strong!cluster!environment.!! ! But!there!are!different!kinds!of!clusters;!some!are!based!on!proximity!to!natural!resources!and! some!are!based!on!local!services!that!tend!to!cluster!in!every!local!area.!!Other!clusters!provide! a!kind!of!expertise!that!has!a!worldwide!scope.!!Some!clusters,!more!than!others,!depend!on! ! 5!

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the!ability!to!capture!and!send!data,!and!to!collaborate!to!and!from!nonVlocal!sources.!For! those!kinds!of!clusters,!Big!Bandwidth!will!become,!over!time,!table!stakes.!!But!the!sooner! such!networks!arrive,!the!stronger!the!cluster!will!become.! ! The$Gig.U:$University$Community$Next#Generation#Innovation#Project,#or#Gig.U#seeks#to# accelerate'the'deployment'of'next'generation)networks)and)services.)This%document%is%a%public' report&on&Phase&I&of&that&project.!This%document%focuses%on%responses%to%a%Request%for% Information*(RFI)*released$in$September$2011,$for$which$responses$were$due$December$2011.$ This%purpose'of'this'report'is'to#help#stakeholders#in#Gig.U#member#communities#assess#the# opportunities*presented*by*the*RFI*responses*and*consider*potential*paths*forward.*The*report! begins#with#background#on#Gig.U#and#the#principles#underlying&the&projects&formation,&then$it$ details(key(takeaways(from(the(RFI(process(and(responses(and(provides(more(detail(about(some( responses.(The$report$finishes$with$a$summary$of$potential$paths$forward!and$strategies$to$ follow%to%act%on%those%paths,%along%with%next%steps%Gig.U%members%and%their%communities% should'take'to'move'forward.'!

II.

Background'of'Gig.U'

! Gig.U!builds!on!several!streams!of!thought!and!work!that!began!with!the!Federal! Communications!Commissions!(FCC)!National!Broadband!Plan!(NBP).!As!part!of!the!Recovery! Act,!Congress!asked!the!FCC!to!develop!a!plan!to!cover!how!to!get!high!speed!networks! everywhere,!and!also!to!deliver!a!holistic!view!about!how!those!networks!can!be!used!to! continue!to!lead!the!world!in!the!development!of!applications!and!services!as!the!United!States! has!led!with!the!Internet!since!its!inception.!! ! The!NBP!advised!that!for!the!United!States!to!continue!to!lead!in!developing!all!aspects!of!the! Internet!economy,!the!country!needs!a!series!of!next!generation,!ultraVhigh!speed!test!beds!to! be!deployed!nationwide.!! ! Shortly!after!the!NBP!was!delivered!to!Congress,!Google!announced!plans!to!deploy!a!next! generation!network!in!a!community!somewhere!in!the!US.!Over!one!thousand!communities including!many!of!the!university!communities!that!make!up!Gig.Us!membershipapplied!for! the!Google!Community!Fiber!Project.!While!this!overwhelming!response!was!not!a!true!market! test!of!the!desire!for!gigabit!connectivity,!it!was!a!fair!test!to!show!that!there!are!a!large! number!of!communities!that!understand!the!value!of!gigabit!connectivity!for!their!economic! development!and!a!variety!of!other!public!uses!like!education!and!health!care.!In!the!months! that!followed!Googles!announcement,!two!things!became!clear:!! There!was!a!very!low!probability!of!additional!federal!investment!in!ultra!highVspeed! networks!in!the!short!term;!and!! ! 6!

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! These!realities!led!Blair!Levin,!previously!the!head!of!the!team!that!developed!and!wrote!the! NBP!and!currently!a!fellow!with!the!Communications!&!Society!Program!at!the!Aspen!Institute,! to!connect!with!a!small!number!of!CIOs!of!some!of!Americas!leading!universities.!The!guiding! question!of!the!group!was:!How!do!we!turn!communities!selfVorganization!into!the!critical! mass!of!test!beds?!These!individuals!began!formulating!the!vision!and!strategy!for!Gig.U,!and! also!began!outreach!to!their!community!partners!and!other!stakeholders.!Gig.U!membership! grew!to!37!member!university!communities!before!the!group!decided!to!close!off!membership! for!Phase!I!of!the!project.!!! ! As!indicated!by!the!NBP,!the!key!to!deploying!next!generation!networks!throughout!the!country! is!to!build!a!critical!mass!of!test!beds!throughout!the!country!that!will!spur!the!adoption!of!ultra! high!speed!services,!the!creation!of!applications!and!devices!that!take!advantage!of!those! speeds!and!encourage!innovation!in!business!and!public!services!by!eliminating!bandwidth!as!a! constraint!on!innovation.!Current!market!forces,!however,!are!unlikely!to!build!such!networks! in!the!near!term.!This!is!because!the!total!costs!to!the!network!provider!are!greater!than!the! benefits.!!!!!! ! For!investors,!new!or!incremental!capital!expenditures!in!a!local!market,!plus!new!or! incremental!operating!expenses!in!that!market,!tend!to!be!greater!than!risk!adjusted!revenues! of!that!market!and!other!revenues!generated!throughout!the!entire!system!by!activities,!such! as!the!development!of!new!applications!or!stimulating!of!new!demand,!caused!by!deployment! of!greater!bandwidth!to!the!local!market.!! ! The!challenge!is!to!determine!what!can!be!done!to!reverse!the!equation.!To!achieve!this,!one! approach!would!be!to!determine!what!can!be!done!to!decrease!the!capital!and!operating! expenditures,!decrease!the!risk!and!increase!the!expected!revenue!and!potential!system! benefits.!Thus,!Gig.U!developed!and,!on!September!15,!2011,!released!a!Request!for! Information!(RFI)!designed!to!obtain!information!that!would!help!address!two!questions:!! What!are!the!technological!and!economic!parameters!of!networks!that!can!drive!the! next!generation!of!innovation;!and!! What!are!the!steps!that!various!parties!can!take!to!change!the!equation!so!as!to! improve!the!business!model!for!a!sustainable!investment!to!deploy!those!networks?! ! Two!weeks!after!the!release!of!the!RFI,!Gig.U!members!hosted!a!workshop!in!Chicago!to! answer!questions!of!potential!respondents!and!begin!a!dialogue!with!them!about!creative!ways! to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next!generation!networks!and!services.!In!the!months!that! followed,!potential!respondents!submitted!written!questions!to!members!and!engaged!in! ! 7!

Research!universities!and!the!communities!that!support!them!were!motivated! sufficiently!to!organize!and!explore!new!strategies!to!satisfy!their!demands!for!ultra! highVspeed!broadband!networks!and!services.!!!!

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several!follow!up!conversations!to!help!them!formulate!responses!to!the!RFI.!Responses!were! due!December!2,!2011.!On!January!23,!2012,!members!met!in!Washington,!DC!to!discuss! responses!and!potential!paths!forward.! ! The!Gig.U!project!is!the!practical!expression!of!several!threads!of!thought!about!how!we!can!go! about!the!next!American!upgrade.!The!next!few!pages!outline!just!why!this!project!focuses!on! university!communities,!and!why!the!university!community!members!of!Gig.U!have!embarked! on!this!project.!! !

University*communities,*a*place*to*change*the*math*
Gig.U!was!premised!on!the!following!beliefs:!! To!lead!in!taking!advantage!of!the!possibilities!of!combining!Big!Data!and!Big!Bandwidth,! we!need!to!start!by!putting!the!right!tools!in!the!hands!of!those!most!likely!to!create!the! bandwidthVbased!innovations!that!drive!the!next!generation!of!economic!growth;!and!! University!communities!combine!the!most!favorable!economic!criteria!to!encourage!the! deployment!of!worldVleading!networks.!! ! University!communities!have!the!kind!of!innovative!culture!that!has!in!the!past,!and!will!be!in! the!future,!the!most!prolific!breeding!ground!for!networkVbased!innovations.!The!intellectual! capital!that!surrounds!university!communities!is!the!most!likely!see!new!ways!to!combine!Big! Data!with!Big!Bandwidth!to!drive!big!improvements!in!our!economy!and!society.!University! communities!also!tend!to!have!several!market!advantages:!high!residential!and!enterprise!user! density,!higher!bandwidth!demands!and!an!abundance!of!preVexisting!network!assets.!But!even! with!these!advantages,!there!are!still!significant!economic!barriers!to!new!capital!being! deployed!to!fund!a!critical!mass!of!next!generation!networks!in!the!United!States.! ! Nonetheless,!the!Gig.U!RFI!process!succeeded!in!clarifying!the!path!ahead.!First,!the!answers! illuminated!a!number!of!technological!optionssome!already!available,!some!in! developmentthat!communities!could!consider!as!they!seek!to!provide!themselves!a!strategic! bandwidth!advantage.!Second,!the!RFI!responses!outlined!some!of!the!steps!universities!and! communities!can!take!to!improve!the!business!case!for!investing!in!worldVleading!networks!in! these!communities.!Universities!and!communities!can!take!many!of!these!steps!on!their!own.! Others!are!best!taken!collectively,!either!on!a!regional,!sector!or!national!basis.! ! It!is!not!clear!from!the!RFI!answers!that!the!equation!can!be!reversed,!in!every!community!or! even!in!any!community.!But,!it!is!clear!much!can!be!done!in!every!community!to!get!a!lot!closer! and!that!in!some!communities!the!current!barriers!may!be!close,!if!not!over,!the!tipping!point.! !

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Benefits*to*communities*from*next*generation*networks*
As!discussed!above,!university!communities!may!be!uniquely!positioned!to!take!advantage!of! the!opportunities!afforded!by!very!highVspeed!bandwidth!and!high!performance!collaboration.! Some!of!these!uses!are!today!only!alive!in!our!collective!imaginations,!but!many!uses!have! emerged!whose!only!barrier!is!lack!of!bandwidth.!Figure!1!below!summarizes!a!few!of!those! uses.! ! Figure!1:!Uses!of!Ultra1High!Speed!Networks! !

! * Ultra!highVspeed!networks!are!merely!the!platform!for!economic!and!social!transformation!in! communities.!The!use!cases!below!are!by!no!means!exhaustive,!but!give!examples!of!how! communities!can!innovate!when!bandwidth!is!abundant.!! ! Health*care* Large,!complex!data!sets!are!becoming!the!norm!in!health!care!organizations.!Some!drivers!of! this!data!growth!include!the!advent!of!electronic!medical!records,!advances!in!medical!imaging,! genetic!research!and!the!use!of!huge!databases!in!pharmaceutical!studies.!By!applying!data! mining!tools!to!data!sets!from!a!large!number!of!patients,!medical!researchers!are!pinpointing! causes!of!diseases!and!options!for!prevention,!diagnosis!and!treatment.! ! Remote&health&innovations:"Surgical)Theater,)LLC,)a)start)up!in#Cleveland,'Ohio,!is#trying#to#train# surgeons(better(using(a"surgical"simulator"that"allows"doctors"to"work"under"as"close"to"realistic" conditions(as(possible."The$company(chose(a(neighborhood(near(Case#Western#Reserve# ! 9!

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University*called*the*Case*Connection*Zonea"neighborhood"test"bed"where"100!residences( are$each$connected$by$a$1!GB#fiber#to#a#dedicated#switch.#! Aging%in%place:"Imagine(if(your(house(knew(before(you(were(about(to(take(a(fall(that(could!be# devastating*to*your*mobility*and*ability*to*stay*in*your*home.*Already,*technological* advancements*have*converged*to*keep*us*healthier*for*longer,*put*us*in*touch*with*medical* professionals+and!track&our&data&to&let&us&know&when&a&rough&patch&might&be&coming.(But( imagine'these'technologies'coming'together'to'transform'the'way'we'live'and'age.!Some%of% these%technologies%are%as%simple%as%medication%reminders%or%electronic%exercise%and%physical% therapy(coaches.(Others(employ(sensors(to(monitor(activity(and!behaviors*in*the*home,*sending* that$data$to$be$processed$with$predictive$algorithms$that$can$alert$offVsite%caretakers%to% impending(problems.!Researchers(at(Gig.U(member(schools(Virginia(Tech(and(University(of( Missouri'are'using'technology,'in'their'respective&projects,&to&record,&track,&predict&and&sound& an#alarm#before#a#fall#occurs.#! ! Community*applications* Some!respondents!to!Gig.Us!RFI!enumerated!the!ways!in!which!communities!can!use!ultra! highVspeed!networks!to!enhance!public!service!delivery,!allow!local!agencies!to!be!more! efficient!and!cut!costs!as!well!as!contribute!to!the!overall!health!and!safety!of!the!community.!!! Transit!monitoring!! Data!transmitted!from!sensors!on!buses,!trains!or!crowdVsourced!from!transit!users!could!help! improve!service!by!tracking!ridership!and!realVtime!updates!for!passengers.!! Community!video,!information!and!real1time!interaction! Community!news!and!information!that!can!serve!not!only!as!research!material!but!also!to! empower!community!members!to!engage!in!civic!action!and!advocacy.!! Cloud1based&storage&for&local&government!! Local&government&agencies&can&rely&on&reliable,&next&generation&networks&to&share&systems,& data$and$services$across$agencies,$eliminating$duplicative$or$siloed$databases$and$improving$ service'delivery"by"improving"efficiency."! Emergency)monitoring!! Sensor'data'can'provide'important'immediate'information'in'the'event'of'an'emergency.'In' September(2010,(a(gas(pipeline(exploded(in(San(Bruno,(CA,(killing(8(people.(An(afterVaction' review&in&front&of&the&National'Transportation'Safety'Board'showed'that'it'took'89'minutes'from' the$time$of$explosion$to$manually$stop$the$flow$of$gas.$Remote,$automated$valves$would$have$ required'substantially'less'time'to'close'than'manual'valves.'At'the'same'time,'residents'in'San$ Bruno&reported&calling&Pacific&Gas&&&Electric&in&the&days&and&weeks&prior&to&the&explosion&to& complain)of)a)gas)leak.)With)the)right)infrastructure,)when)sensor)data)is)integrated)with) automatic(valve(technology,(will(be(to(automatically(shut(down(gas(distribution*in*the*event*of*a* ! 10!

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leak,&versus&waiting&for&customers&to&call&a&hotline&phone&number&to&notify&the&electric&utility&of& a"problem."! Air!quality!or!other!environmental!monitoring!! Using!equipment!that!can!transmit!data!over!a!mesh!network,!data!can!then!be!stored!in!a! locally!hosted!database,!providing!research!material!for!public!health!and!planning!studies.! Business*and*economic*development* There!is!quite!a!bit!of!evidence!that!very!highVspeed!connectivity!encourages!businesses!to!stay! in!an!area,!allows!them!to!grow!and!attracts!new!businesses!to!a!community,!particularly!in! highVtech!industries.!Big!Bandwidth!also!facilitates!homeVbased!startVup!businesses!and!helps! attract!mobile,!wellVeducated!creative!class!workers!for!whom!telework!is!rapidly!increasing.! Of!course,!network!infrastructure!is!only!one!component!of!an!overall!economic!development! strategy!and!should!be!used!in!support!of!communities!existing!economic!development!goals.! The!reliability!and!bandwidth!offered!by!these!networks!can!create!new!enterprises!and! preserve!old!ones.!! ! Retail'marketing!and$sales!! Increasingly,-companies-want%a%360Vdegree,&complete&view&of&a&customera"centralized!view%of% the$customers$retail,$website,$email$and$telephone$interactions$that$can$be$immediately& accessed&when&a&customer&walks&in&the&door&or&talks&with&a&call&center&agent.&And&as&more&firms& use$social$media$to$answer$customer$questions,$correct$misunderstandings$or$learn$from$ customer)feedback,)responding)in)real)time)or)in)near)real)time)to)Facebook(or(Twitter(updates( becomes'significantly'more'necessary.'Managing,'mining'and'analyzing'this'data'relies'on'highV speed%computing%resources%and%reliable%high%bandwidth.! Financial!services!! Companies!across!the!globe!mine!and!analyze!big!data!to!stay!ahead!of!the!competition,! improve!retail!customer!service,!detect!fraud,!validate!regulatory!compliance!and!maximize! operational!efficiencies.! ! State%of%the%Art%modeling,%animation%and%design!! There%is%an%emerging%number%of%firms!and$business$units$in$existing&industries&that!use$highV performance*computing*to*create*or*reVcreate&scenarios&to&help&predict&the&future.&HighVend$ modeling)and)simulation)is)a)bandwidth)hog)if)you)want)to)loop)in)people)working)at)other) locations)into)the)what)if)process.)A)gigabit&network&enables&a&small&company&in&a&midVsized& city%to%become%the%center%of%a%world%of%supercomputers,%international%research%teams%and% corporate(giants.(! Telecommuting!and!entrepreneurship!! Residential!customers!can!use!next!generation!networks!to!build!inVhome!businesses!from! interior!design!using!the!network!to!model!design!implementations,!to!agents!managing!health! insurance!programs!for!national!health!insurance!programs.!Developments!and!work!cycles!are! ! 11!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no!longer!limited!to!the!hours!between!9!am!and!5!pm;!for!communities!whose!industries!rely! on!highVperformance!knowledge!transfer!around!the!globefrom!engineers!and!analysts!to! health!care!providers!and!professorsit!is!increasingly!necessary!for!those!employees!to!have! access!to!the!same!connectivity!at!home!as!in!their!offices!and!laboratories.!! ! Education*and*job*training* Ultra!highVspeed!networks!can!serve!as!the!platform!to!improve!community!readiness!for!new! economic!realities!by!training!and!engaging!citizens!in!lifeVlong!learning.!Next!generation! networks!can!link!teachers!and!students!to!each!other,!to!professional!development!resources! using!high!quality,!twoVway!video,!as!well!as!linking!institutions!and!local,!regional!and!national! databases!for!administrative!or!supervision!purposes.!The!ability!to!move!large!amounts!of!data! locally!also!presents!opportunities!to!build!and!use!services!in!the!cloud,!eliminating!the!need! to!support!expensive!server!farms!that!house!data!onsite.!!

III.

Responses'to'the'RFI:'Understanding'the'Opportunities'

Gig.U!received!57!responses!to!the!RFI!from!a!broad!spectrum!of!stakeholders!including! incumbent!lastVmile!service!providers,!equipment!manufacturers,!infrastructure!providers,! network!operators,!thought!leaders!and!nonprofits.!Some!responses!provided!thoughtful!and! comprehensive!answers!to!almost!all!of!the!questions!in!the!RFI;!others!selectively!answered! those!questions!most!applicable!to!their!business!models;!and,!still!others!provided!important! insight!in!the!form!of!general!feedback!or!indications!of!support!rather!than!structured!RFI! responses.!!! ! As!shown!in!Figure!2,!more!than!half!of!the!respondents!to!the!RFI!are!existing!operators!and! service!providersincluding!8!national!telephone!operators!and!multiple!system!operators! (MSOs).!A!majority!of!Gig.U!communities!are!at!least!partially!served!by!three!or!more! national!carriers!who!responded!to!the!RFI,!and!28!out!of!37!are!served!by!two!or!more! national!carriers.!Several!of!those!communities!were!also!the!focus!of!responses!provided!by! regional!or!local!carriers,!new!entrants!or!nonVtraditional!providers.!! Figure!2:!Respondents!to!the!RFI!by!Category! !

! ! 12!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

! The!next!largest!category!of!parties!who!showed!an!interest!was!network!equipment! manufacturers!and!vendors.!While!the!incentives!are!clearly!aligned!heredeploying!next! generation!networks!means!selling!nextVgeneration!network!equipmentthese!vendors! represent!a!valuable!segment!of!the!ecosystem!and!their!continued!support!will!be!valuable.!! ! Figures!3V6!summarize!notable!responses!to!the!RFI,!grouped!by!type!of!respondent.!! ! Figure!3:!Incumbent!Responses!to!the!RFI! !

* ! Figure!4:!Notable!New!Entrant!Response!to!the!RFI! !

* ! 13!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Figure!5:!Open!Service!Model!Responses!to!the!RFI! !

* * ! Figure!6:!Multi1Dwelling!Unit!Strategies!in!Response!to!the!RFI! !

! !

14!

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IV.

Gig.U'RFI'Process:'Key'Themes'

The!RFI!process!was!intended!to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next!generation!networks!and! services!to!spur!economic!development.!Furthermore,!the!RFI!was!designed!to!inspire! creativityto!move!away!from!thinking!about!deployments!as!business!as!usual!and!encourage! actors!across!the!network!ecosystem!to!think!of!new!approaches.!The!members!of!Gig.U! wanted!to!better!understand!vendor!preferences,!particularly!relating!to!differences!in!the! regulatory,!demographic!and!market!environments!amongst!the!Gig.U!communities.!The!group! hypothesized!that!there!is!no!oneVsizeVfitsVall!approach!to!building!nextVgeneration!networks! and!sought!to!validate!that!hypothesis.!And!finally,!the!group!sought!to!determine!how! communities!could!work!together!to!improve!the!business!case!more!generally!for!nextV generation!networks!and!services.!! ! The!Gig.U!staff!has!reviewed!and!analyzed!the!responses!to!the!RFI!not!as!technical!experts,!but! with!an!eye!toward!the!opportunities!presented!by!each!response!for!each!member!and!with!a! focus!on!the!goals!of!the!overall!process.!In!this!context,!there!are!a!few!key!themes!that! emerged!from!the!responses!and!discussions!with!interested!parties:! ! The!private!sector!has!a!strong!interest!in!moving!away!from!traditional!business!and! deployment!models!and!see!a!role!for!universities!and!communities!in!this!process;! Vendors!investment!analyses!are!based!on!availability!of!fiber,!access!to!certain!assets! and!potential!incentives!from!communities;! Vendors!need!more!information!about!communities!and!their!preferences;! University!communities!are!attractive!test!beds!for!innovative!and!emerging!network! technologies;!and! Collaboration!can!offer!many!scope!and!scale!advantages!for!university!communities.! ! The!next!few!pages!will!explore!each!of!these!themes!in!turn.!! ! Key!Theme!1:!Strong!private!sector!interest!in!working!with!community!and!university!partners! to!break!traditional!molds!to!deploy!communications!infrastructure!! Many!respondents!indicated!a!willingness!to!work!with!universities!and!communities!and!noted! that!each!had!assets!or!incentives!that!could!make!the!business!case!for!deployment!of!or! upgrade!to!next!generation!networks!more!attractive.!These!responses!show!that!both!the! university!and!the!community!partners!are!speciallyand!differentlysituated!to!be!able!to! support!a!private!sector!partner!or!consortium.!Some!actions!that!increase!expected!revenue! or!decrease!expected!costs!for!vendors!fall!under!the!purview!of!universities,!while!others!fall! under!that!of!communities,!including!private!sector!entities!such!as!owners!of!multiple!dwelling! units!(MDUs).!Some!!like!assisting!with!marketing!!may!be!undertaken!by!multiple!partners.!! ! In!addition,!several!vendors!suggested!new!models!of!building!out!networks,!including!building! to!preVcommitted!demand!from!residential,!institutional,!enterprise!or!MDU!customers!as! ! 15!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

opposed!to!traditional!models!of!community!or!franchise!areaVwide!deployment.!This!may!be! an!opportunity!for!communities!and!universities!to!work!together!to!organize!around!the! mission!of!demonstrating!and!aggregating!residential,!business!and!institutional!demand!to! drive!those!deployments.!! ! With!regard!to!universities,!some!respondents!noted!untapped!value!of!Research!&!Education! (R&E)!networks!in!accelerating!the!deployment!of!ultraVhigh!speed!retail!services,!noting!that! these!networks!already!have!high!capacity!and!points!of!presence.!If!R&E!networks!agreed!to! changes!that!would!allow!private!operators!to!lease!excess!capacity,!peer!or!collocate!with! those!networks!on!and!around!Gig.U!campuses,!that!could!reduce!capital!and!operating! expenses!for!some,!encourage!competition!and!bring!down!the!potential!cost!for!end!users.! Working!together,!universities,!communities!and!entities!interested!in!providing!upgraded!or! new!networks!can!accomplish!common!goals.!! ! Key!Theme!2:!Decreased!operating!costs,!availability!of!fiber!and!market!advantages!drive! private!sector!investment!analyses!! Many!respondents!identified!key!expected!costs!and!revenues!that!are!pivotal!to!their! investment!decisions.!In!particular,!committed!revenue!or!at!least!an!increased!likelihood!of! revenuethrough!preVdemonstrated!demand!or!joint!marketing!commitments!is!one!of!the! most!significant!factors!in!the!private!sector!investment!analysis.!Several!vendors!noted!the! importance!of!preVcommitments!from!high!value!end!users!like!institutional!or!MDU!customers.! In!addition,!the!responses!suggested!other!ways!to!influence!the!investment!analysis!through! less!directly!related!factors,!such!as!agreeing!to!some!sort!of!market!advantage!like!a!right!of! first!refusal!on!providing!service!to!certain!MDUs!or!exclusive!marketing!rights.! ! On!the!other!hand,!access!to!fiberboth!in!their!own!footprints!and!access!to!existing!dark!or! lit!fiber!owned!by!public!entitieswas!a!key!driver!of!expected!costs.!Several!vendors!also! indicated!the!importance!of!being!able!to!use!costVeffective!construction!methods!like!microV trenching.!A!streamlined!permitting!process!for!this!and!other!construction!methods!could! lower!capital!expenditures!for!fiber!deployments.!While!the!RFI!did!not!ask!vendors!to!rank!the! importance!of!inducements!or!regulatory!reliefs!preferred,!answers!to!specific!questions!can! give!communities!insight!into!which!factors!may!be!important.!Market!position,!cost!of!capital! and!other!investment!opportunities!all!factor!into!investment!analysis,!making!projections! difficult!and!unique!to!each!operator!and!community.!1! ! Figure!7!is!a!list!of!factors!or!actions!that!may!influence!the!private!sector!investment!analysis! as!indicated!by!responses!to!the!RFI.!!No!respondent!suggested!that!all!of!these!actions!would! be!necessary,!and!the!analysis!for!each!community!as!to!which!actions!are!appropriate!is!likely! to!require!a!caseVbyVcase!analysis.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
1

!See!Attachment!A!for!the!consolidated!list!of!vendor!Q&A!associated!with!the!RFI.!!

16!

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! Figure!7:!Potential!Community!and!University!Actions!to!Reduce!Expected!Costs!and!Raise! Expected!Revenues! !

! ! ! !

17!

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! Vendors!need!more!information!about!communities!and!their!preferences!! The!RFI!allowed!vendors!to!reveal!many!of!their!preferences,!but!most!indicated!they!need! more!information!about!communities!to!put!together!deals!or!to!adjust!potential!rollout! strategies,!timelines!and!do!a!final!investment!analysis.!Vendors!need!more!specificity!about! the!target!service!area,!desired!services,!market!information!(including!demand),!potential! incentives,!potential!regulatory!reliefs!available!and!other!communityVspecific!details.!Of! particular!importance!are!communities!answers!to!the!questions!of!whether!any!particular! business!models!are!preferred!or,!alternatively,!are!off!the!table,!and!which!geographies,!or! end!users,!constitutes!the!highest!priority.! ! Throughout!this!process,!both!vendors!and!other!interested!parties!have!noted!that!use!cases! influence!network!designs!and!engineering,!help!demonstrate!consumer!demand!and!facilitate! community!buyVin.!Some!responses!directly!or!indirectly!noted!the!potential!for!applications!to! help!to!identify!potential!partners!or!revenue!opportunities!in!other!industry!verticals!(i.e.! healthcare,!education,!entertainment,!etc.).!The!most!compelling!use!cases!for!each!specific! community!may!not!be!the!case!for!all,!but!use!cases!are!an!important!aspect!of!local! preference!for!any!path!forward.! ! This!information!includes:!! Are!there!ownership!or!operating!models!that!are!of!interest!or!any!that!are!unworkable?! Where!is!the!demand,!geographically?!Who!makes!up!that!demand!profile demographically!and!institutionally?! What!physical!assets!are!available!and!who!is!responsible!for!them?! Are!there!regulatory!barriers!to!construction!methods!or!operations,!and!can!those! barriers!be!mitigated!through!incentives!such!as!streamlined!permitting!or!inspections?! Is!the!community!interested!in!serving!as!a!test!bed!for!emerging!technologies?! ! Several!respondents!indicated!they!were!interested!in!providing!additional!services!above!the! net!or!building!out!in!a!way!that!would!encourage!communityVpurpose!applications!like!public! services!and!health!care!applications.!In!most!instances,!these!vendors!need!to!know!what!use! cases!particularly!interest!the!community!and!could!drive!preVcommitted!demand.!Figure!8! shows!the!range!of!priorities!and!preferences!open!to!individual!communities.! ! !

18!

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Figure!8:!Community!and!University!Preferences!Will!Define!the!Range!of!Acceptable!Options! !

! ! Finally,!moving!forwardon!any!pathwill!require!organized!and!engaged!local!stakeholders.! This!group!could!potentially!include!local!leaders!from!city!administration!and!management,! university!leadership,!economic!development!agencies,!public!works!departments!and!local! leaders!from!industry!verticals!most!likely!to!benefit!from!network!upgrades.!! ! ! University!communities!are!attractive!test!beds!for!innovative!and!emerging!network! technologies! Several!respondents!noted!how!the!Gig.U!project!could!be!a!unique!platform!to!test!the! feasibility!of!certain!business!models!and!technologies.!In!particular,!respondents!noted!the! importance!of!testing!wireless!as!a!last!mile!access!technology,!including!using!emerging! technologies!to!take!advantage!of!white!spaces.!Many!respondents!noted!the!opportunity!to! use!Gig.U!member!communities!to!test!hybrid!network!deployments,!using!fiber!and!enabling! end!user!mobility!through!wireless!technology.!In!addition!to!noting!the!benefits!of!these! networks,!some!respondents!also!indicated!an!interest!in!advising!Gig.U!members!on!the!best! practices!for!deploying!ultraVhigh!speed!network!test!beds.! ! ! !

19!

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Collaboration!can!offer!many!scope!and!scale!advantages!for!university!communities! Numerous!respondents!highlighted!benefits!that!could!accrue!to!Gig.U!member!communities! and!their!partners!as!a!result!of!the!economies!of!scope!and!scale!of!an!ongoing!collaborative! effort.!Gig.U!has!been!a!powerful!platform!for!university!community!collaboration,!and!vendors! noted!the!continued!importance!of!collaboration!in!the!following!ways:! ! As!consumers:!Respondents!wanted!to!take!advantage!of!the!potential!economies!of! scope!and!several!indicated!they!would!consider!promotional!pricing!and!volume! discounts!for!a!consortia!of!Gig.U!members!that!choose!to!buy!equipment,!services!or! deployment!services!from!them.!Others!took!a!different!approach,!indicating!they!would! consider!reduced!pricing!arrangements!negotiated!through!preferred!or!exclusive!vendor! agreements.!In!addition,!a!consortium!of!university!communities!can!influence!other! aspects!of!the!nextVgeneration!network!value!chain.!For!example,!a!few!responses!noted! that!for!consumers!to!truly!take!advantage!of!higher!speeds!in!a!meaningful!way,! technological!changes!in!hardware!design!are!necessary.!! As!information!holders:!By!and!large,!vendors!asked!for!the!same!type!of!information! from!Gig.U!communities!in!written!questions!and!in!their!responses.!Having!this! information!presented!uniformly!for!participating!communities!lowers!informationV gathering!costs!for!vendors.!Furthermore,!one!respondent,!who!works!with!service! providers!and!student!MDUs,!suggested!Gig.U!members!could!work!together!with!private! entities!to!create!a!set!of!bulk!service!agreements!for!multiVdwelling!units!that!house! students!or!health!care!providers!or!adult!care!facilities!that!would!be!useful!to!all!similar! institutions!throughout!Gig.U!communities.! As!a!learning!organization:!Because!the!communities!and!universities!are!similarly! situated!and!share!the!same!ultimate!goal,!but!differ!on!the!variables!somewhat,!this!is!an! important!venue!for!sharing!best!practices!and!learning!from!the!experiences!of!another! community.! As!a!voice:!The!Gig.U!project!has!inspired!considerable!interest!nationally!and!has!become! part!of!the!national!discourse.!But!there!has!been!value!to!collective!action!beyond!press:! in!many!cases!it!was!the!sheer!number!of!participants!that!drove!this!opportunity!out!of! the!individual!business!units!and!to!a!level!where!creative!thinking!and!responses!were! more!likely!to!be!shared.!Moreover,!most!of!the!incumbent!respondents!do!have! relationships!with!individual!universities!at!the!local!or!regional!level!as!customers.! Several!companies!have!noted!the!difficulty!figuring!out!where!this!project!should!sit with!the!education!team,!the!public!sector!team,!technology!research!and!development! or!business!development.!In!most!cases,!having!a!national!focus!elevated!the!project!to!a! level!within!the!company!where!innovative!responses!were!more!likely!to!come!from.!! ! Responses!also!explicitly!emphasized!the!importance!of!a!wellVdefined!organizational!structure! that!would!allow!all!parties!to!be!clear!about!the!roles!and!responsibilities!of!each!participant.! Suggestions!about!the!proper!role!of!Gig.U!ranged!from!being!an!organization!that!focuses!on! ! 20!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marketing!and!outreach!or!facilitates!with!local!political!support!to!suggestions!that!the! organization!focuses!on!streamlining!certain!operations!to!help!lower!transaction!costs!for! potential!partners.!

V.

Potential'Paths'Forward'

While!the!responses!to!the!RFI!suggest!that!some!communities!may!attract!more!private!sector! interest!than!others!or!may!be!able!to!accomplish!more!ambitious!deployments!or!upgrades,! nothing!in!the!responses!suggests!there!are!insurmountable!obstacles!to!deploying!next! generation!networks!in!any!Gig.U!community.!Members!should!be!cautious,!however,!in! assuming!that!the!communities!that!seemed!to!receive!the!most!interest!have!the!greatest! chance!of!success.!Those!communities!may!have!a!greater!chance!of!success!with!particular! operating!models,!but!more!competition!does!not!necessarily!mean!that!those!communities! will!have!an!easier!path!forward.!For!example,!greater!interest!from!multiple!national!carriers! may!increase!the!odds!that!a!community!runs!a!successful!competitive!process!for!a!vertically! integrated!network,!but!it!may!be!more!difficult!for!those!communities!to!attract!new!entrants! or!different!business!models.!Furthermore,!all!respondents!made!clear!they!viewed!Phase!I!as! the!beginning!of!a!process;!future!efforts!and!additional!information!about!member! communities!and!their!preferences!could!attract!additional!interest!from!vendors!who!did!not! respond!initially!or!alter!the!preferences!of!those!who!did.! ! For!these!reasons,!the!results!of!Phase!I!provide!sufficient!justification!for!most,!if!not!all,! members!to!continue!pursuing!the!goal!of!bringing!next!generation!networks!to!their! communities.!The!decision!to!continue!must!be!made!by!each!individual!university!community! member!team.!! ! While!the!question!of!whether!to!continue!is!an!individual!one,!the!question!of!how!to! continue!is!a!collective!one.!As!a!whole,!however,!the!consortium!cannot!definitively!decide!the! latter!question!before!having!a!sense!of!how!communities!will!answer!the!former.!The! remainder!of!this!section!lays!out!multiple!potential!paths!forward!for!individual!communities! to!consider.!These!paths!can!be!pursued!on!and!individual!and/or!collective!basis.!Figure!9! outlines!some!resource!and!structural!considerations!associated!with!each!path.!! ! Local!Community!Follow1Up!and!Action** The!RFI!responses!provided!a!wealth!of!information!about!how!individual!communities!could! improve!the!probability!of!obtaining!next!generation!networks!and!services!through!locally! administered!competitive!processes!or!direct!negotiations!with!particular!vendors.!Members! could!conclude!that!by!collecting!that!information!in!an!efficient!manner,!Gig.U!has! accomplished!as!much!as!is!practical!for!a!national,!collective!effort,!and!that!from!this!point! on,!progress!is!best!accomplished!on!at!the!local!level.! ! ! 21!

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National!Outreach!! Building!on!local!efforts,!the!Gig.U!membership!may!conclude!there!is!value!in!a!limited! national!effort!focused!on!targeted!messaging!and!awareness!of!the!importance!of!university! communities!in!driving!next!generation!networks!and!services.! ! National!Coordinated!Action** Members!may!also!agree!that!ongoing!collaboration!between!communities,!coordinated!at!a! national!level,!may!have!several!benefits!such!as!when!that!action!allows!members!to!share! certain!costs!or!brings!advantages!of!standardization!and!scope.!Collaborating,!members!could! share!the!costs!associated!with!engaging!consultants!to!develop!strategies!for!community! engagement,!market!analysis!and/or!demand!forecasting,!or!other!steps!needed!to!further! negotiations!with!private!sector!partners!or!investors.!Such!steps!may!also!include!tasks!like! designing!an!online!demand!assessment!tool,!or!providing!an!incentive!for!developers!or! building!owners!to!upgrade!through!a!Gig.U!certified!building!program.!A!nationally! coordinated!effort!could!also!include!creating!a!platform!for!shared!learning!and!establishing! best!practices.!Finally,!a!coordinated!national!strategy!that!includes!building!and!maintaining! relationships!with!key!private!sector!vendors!could!enhance!local!messaging!and!outreach! efforts.!! Figure!9:!Potential!Organizational!Structures!for!Collaboration! !
Organiza(onal& Structure& Descrip(on&/& Considera(ons& Local& Ac(on& Individual)communi-es) con-nue)to)explore)op-ons)) ) Prepare)RFPs)or)engage)in) nego-a-ons)directly)with) vendors) ) Stakeholder)engagement)at) local)level) None) Na(onal&Outreach&/& Local&Ac(on& Na-onally)coordinated) messaging)and)awareness) ) Requires)group)consensus) on)general)goals) ) How)will)success)be) dened?) Na(onal& Ac(on& Menu)of)possible)ac-ons) ) Decide)on)areas)of) consensus)among)group) ) Dene)roles)and) responsibili-es)based)on) ins-tu-onal/)individual)) exper-se) Depends)on)specic)goals) and)ac-ons,)but)likely) considerably)more)than) Phase)I) Depends)on)specic)goals) and)ac-ons,)but)likely)more) than)Phase)I)(par-cularly) community) representa-ves)) )

Na(onal&Sta&

Minimal)

Local&Sta&

Depends)on)specic)goals) and)strategy)at)the)local) level)

Depends)on)specic)local) objec-ves)and)strategy)

22!

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VI.

Next'Steps:'Defining'Community'Priorities'and'Moving'Forward'

! At!this!point,!we!expect!that!member!communities!can!be!described!in!one!of!the!following! ways:!!! ! Those!who!are!intrigued!by!the!outcomes!of!the!RFI!and!are!interested!in!taking! additional!steps!toward!issuing!RFPs!or!identifying!other!strategies!to!engage!with! vendors!to!work!towards!agreements!or!partnerships!that!will!result!in!community! upgrades.! Members!who!have!already!begun!negotiations!or!more!inVdepth!conversations!with! respondents!or!other!vendors!about!potential!upgrades!or!deployments.!These! members!may!be!interested!in!continuing!under!a!national!banner,!but!do!not!want!to! be!slowed!down!by!continued!collaboration.! Members!who!are!uninterested!or!unable!to!make!further!financial!or!staff! commitments!at!this!time.!! ! Most!communities!will!likely!fall!in!the!first!category!or!some!combination!of!the!first!and!the! second.!However,!successful!upgrades!or!next!generation!network!deployments!will!likely! require!a!more!substantial!investment!in!time!and!resources!than!the!commitment!needed! during!the!RFI!phase.!Knowing!that!each!member!university!and!community!has!many!demands! on!financial!and!human!resources,!it!is!understandable!that!some!members!will!fall!into!the! third!category!as!they!evaluate!their!unique!circumstances.! ! The!RFI!asked!a!series!of!questions!about!vendors!and!their!preferencesto!successfully!move! forward,!communities!need!to!consider!their!own!preferences.!As!part!of!more!pronounced! community!engagement,!each!member!should!engage!in!an!active!dialogue!to!help!the! community!determine!and!explain!their!preference!for!specific!network!operating!models,! types!of!services,!target!geography,!willingness!to!consider!municipal!ownership!or!assist! private!owners!with!financing,!priority!endVusers!or!use!cases,!etc.!One!way!to!think!about!this! would!be:!! ! Looking!at!the!responses!to!the!RFI,!what!criteria!would!your!community!use!to! evaluate!and!compare!the!models!described,!based!on!local!priorities!and!constraints?!! Specifically,!how!willing!is!the!community!to!consider!different!network!operating! models?!How!willing!to!consider!municipal!investment,!ownership!or!operation!of! networks?!! Are!there!specific!end!users!that!should!be!prioritized?! Are!there!other!policy!objectives!that!the!community!seeks!to!advance!using!this! project?! ! 23!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

! At!this!point,!detailed!answers!to!these!questions!without!any!flexibility!may!not!be!appropriate! or!feasible!for!every!community.!This!category!of!action!will!be!ongoingas!more!information! becomes!available!and!stakeholders!become!more!engaged,!community!preferences!may! evolve.!For!example,!even!a!cursory!review!of!the!responses!or!the!summary!in!the!preceding! sections!of!this!report!may!lead!some!communities!to!have!an!interest!in!particular!models!or! opportunities.!!However,!as!communities!follow!up!and!learn!more!details!about!the!proposals,! certain!proposals!may!become!more!or!less!attractive.!! ! Communities!do!not!necessarily!need!to!know!the!answers!to!all!these!questions!entering!the! phase!or!to!move!forward,!but!the!sooner!that!they!are!able!to!narrow!down!their!options!the! sooner!they!will!be!able!to!engage!in!a!more!substantive!exploration!of!the!proposals!or! business!models!that!may!be!of!greatest!interest.!! ! Given!these!considerations,!Gig.U!staff!has!proposed!the!following!next!steps:! ! March!Vendor!Meeting! Gig.U!will!host!a!meeting!March!20V21st!in!Chicago!to!allow!Phase!I!members!to!take!part!in! meetings!with!the!respondents!that!represented!the!best!opportunities.!We!will!use!that! meeting!to!help!inform!vendors!about!our!current!thoughts!on!moving!forward!with!local!and,! potentially,!national!efforts.!!Some!portion!of!that!meeting!will!also!be!used!for!a!meeting! between!members!who!wish!to!continue!with!a!national!effort!to!determine!the!path!forward.! ! February! Community!stakeholder!meetings!to!determine!preferences! Explore!fundraising!/!partnership!opportunities! Distribute!proposed!scope!of!work,!organizational!structure,!operating!procedures,! timeline!and!commitment!levels!for!Phase!II!efforts! Ongoing!vendor!and!community!engagement! ! March!! Ongoing!vendor!and!community!engagement! Vendor!Meeting! ! April! Decision!on!whether!/!how!to!proceed!with!Phase!II! If!applicable:!Phase!II!commitments!due!from!members! ! ! ! ! ! ! 24!

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Attachment'A:'Frequently'Asked'Vendor'Questions'and'Gig.U' Answers'
' TECHNICAL' ' 1. 'What'are'the'minimum'acceptable'bandwidth'speeds'for'terrestrial'and/or'wireless' service?']]'is'Gig.U'envisioning'symmetrical'1Gbps'bandwidth'or'asymmetrical?'''' We!consider!1!Gbps!downstream!as!a!baseline!for!an!ultraVhigh!speed!wireline!network.!! High!bandwidth!in!the!upstream!direction!is!also!considered!essential.!Symmetrical! offerings!are!not!required,!however!widely!asymmetrical!bandwidth!offerings!could! undermine!the!Gig.U!goals!of!technological,!commercial!and!social!innovation!that!we!hope! will!evolve!from!this!effort.!!Disparately!asymmetrical!bandwidth!offerings!(multiple!HD! video!downstream!and!near!keystroke!upstream!speeds,!to!use!an!extreme!example)!would! preclude!a!whole!host!of!applications!that!can!readily!be!envisioned!as!a!result!of!this! initiative.!!For!example,!the!use!of!multimedia!collaboration!tools!by!faculty!and/or! students,!or!data!analytics!as!a!small!business!based!computational!service!may!be! infeasible!with!limited!upstream!bandwidth.!!! Members!are!also!interested!in!new!opportunities!for!ultraVhigh!speed!wireless!innovation,! and!consider!100MB!speeds!as!the!baseline!for!ultraVhigh!speed!wireless!networks.!

' 2. Is'there'any'expectation'on'how'bandwidth'is'delivered'to'the'individual'user'(HFC'or' fiber)/is'there'a'preference'for'Fiber]to]the]home'(FTTH)'versus'WiMax?''

' 3. If'we'are'unable'to'provide'1'Gbps'on'day'one,'what'is'the'expectation'on'minimum' speeds'and'when'would'1'Gbps'be'expected?'What'broadband'speeds'for' residential/hub/enterprise?''

Gig.U!members!are!seeking!creative!strategies!to!increase!their!communities!access!to! ultraVhigh!speed!networks!and!services!so!as!to!enable!a!new!generation!of!innovations! over!the!broadband!platform.!!Many!members!have!a!preference!for!terrestrial! deployments,!where!possible,!to!endVusers!seeking!1!Gbps!fixed!services.!!However,! members!are!very!interested!in!better!understanding!the!tradeVoffs!between!technologies! and!we!encourage!responses!that!rely!in!part!or!in!total!on!technologies!other!than!FTTH.!!!

Gig.U!member!communities!are!looking!to!serve!as!testVbeds!for!worldVleading,!next! generation!networks!and!services,!which!we!define!in!the!RFI!as!1!Gbps!for!wireline!and!100! Mbs!for!wireless!networks.!!Our!intent!is!to!make!these!speeds!available!to!as!many! residential!and!business!endVusers!as!possible!in!as!short!a!time!period!as!possible.!!If! respondents!cannot!provide!this!level!of!connectivity!on!day!one,!they!should!explain!how! their!proposed!strategies!to!serve!the!community!needs!are!consistent!with!the!members! ! 25!

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aspirations!to!gain!accelerated!access!to!next!generation!networks!to!promote!their! communities!as!hubs!of!innovation.!!In!addition!to!the!speeds!provided!by!the!networks,! members!may!also!consider!the!scale!of!any!new!deployments!or!network!upgrades!as!well! as!the!cost!or!other!attributes!associated!with!the!services.!!! ' 4. Does'Gig.U's'definition'of'ultra'highspeed'broadband'refer'specifically'to'high'speed' internet'access'or'are'private'network'connections'anticipated'as'well?'' The!primary!interest!of!the!members!is!in!networks!that!provide!a!platform!for!innovation.!! This!could!include!both!types!of!services,!but!members!could!have!a!preference!for!either! type!of!service,!depending!upon!the!costs,!technical!details!and!their!specific!needs.!There! are!members!of!the!communities!who!would!want!full!Internet!access,!and!there!are!also! members!of!the!communities!who!would!want!private!network!connections.!In!this!RFI,! members!are!open!to!discussions!about!both!types!of!service.! ' 5. Is'the'community'expecting'to'be'on'one'L2'VLAN'or'is'this'just'general'IP'traffic?'' A!single!VLAN!for!the!entire!community!is!very!unlikely!to!meet!their!needs,!though!a!single! VLAN!per!community!member!may!be!sufficient.!Please!refer!to!the!answer!to!the!previous! question!for!context.!While!the!bulk!of!community!traffic!is!likely!to!be!to/from!the! commodity!Internet,!private!networks!are!best!suited!for!individual!VLANs.!Indeed,! individual!entities,!including!institutions!of!higher!education!and!some!privateVsector! businesses,!would!like!multiple!VLANs!to!support!specific!populations!of!constituents!and! applications.!Community!participants!would!like!the!delivery!of!VLANs!to!be!included!and! itemized!as!separate!costs.!! ' OPERATIONS'&'SERVICES' ' 6. Please'provide'use]cases'of'specific'interest'for'each'University.'Examples'would'include' Telehealth,'IPTV,'Gaming,'etc.''What'are'the'primary'applications'that'would'run'on'the' network?''Do'the'applications'have'a'priority'order?'' The!member!communities!are!already!home!to!a!large!number!of!professional!and! recreational!developers!hungry!for!cuttingVedge!networks!and!technology!that!incorporates! and!enables!functionality!such!as!3D!modeling,!highVdefinition!simulations,!telepresence,! HD!video,!and!rapid!transfer!of!massive!data!sets.!!These!applications!help!students,!faculty! and!businesses!analyze!and!share!information!in!new!ways!that!can!lead!to!meaningful! breakthroughs,!new!ways!of!operating!and!greater!efficiency!across!a!number!of!disciplines! including:! ! Healthcare! o Telehealth! 26!

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o Research!and!bioinformatics! Engineering! Advanced!manufacturing!! Education! Public!safety! Clean!energy/smart!grid! Retail! Business! Media!and!entertainment! Job!training! Support!for!general!dataVintensive!research!and!development!

Our!members!expect!that!as!the!volume!of!data!consumed!by!multiple!devices!and! applications!that!can!be!used!simultaneously!increases,!and!as!we!store!more!information! remotely!and!depend!on!more!cloudVbased!services,!the!increased!bandwidth!and!speed! available!from!1!Gbps!networks!and!services!will!take!on!new!importance!for!community! members!and!stimulate!greater!demand!for!such!network!and!services.!!!!!!! While!all!members!have!a!particular!interest!in!applications!that!serve!both!improving!the! revenue!model!and!the!broader!public!purposes!of!their!mission,!they!have!not!provided!an! ordered!list!of!priorities;!rather!they!wish!the!network!to!be!used!for!a!wide!variety!of! applications.!!However,!some!members!used!the!communities!overviews!included!in!the! appendix!to!the!RFI!to!highlight!specific!applications!and!uses!of!particular!interest!to!their! communities.!!! Please!also!note!that!members!are!open!to!working!in!collaboration!with!private!sector! partners!to!develop!deployment!and!service!strategies!that!focus!on!specific!applications! that!may!be!of!particular!interest!to!partners.!!For!example,!members!may!work!in! collaboration!with!a!service!provider!and!a!health!care!provider!who!agree!to!fund!some! portion!of!the!network!or!commit!to!a!contract!for!a!set!amount!of!services!to!make!sure! that!specific!endVusers!or!areas!of!the!community!receive!1!Gbps!service!because!doing!so! would!help!the!health!care!provider!evaluate!certain!new!technologies.!! Private!sector!companies,!in!addition!to!public!sector!entities,!are!welcome!to!identify! additional!use!cases!particular!to!their!environments,!as!discussions!and!dialogue! concerning!deployment!progress.! ! 7. Are'video'and'voice'products'desired?'If'so,'for'all'or'a'portion'of'the'geography?''Are' Business'Services'Products'desired'(e.g.,'10'Gbps'Ethernet,'multi]line'voice'services,' commercial'broadband,'etc.)?''Are'any'other'products'specifically'requested''eg,'Home' Security,'etc.?)' ! 27!

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The!RFI!seeks!to!gather!conceptual!frameworks!and!indications!of!interest!from!vendors! interested!in!working!with!Gig.U!members!to!develop!strategies!to!deploy!selfVsustaining,! next!generation!broadband!networks!that!will!provide!affordable,!highVspeed!services!to! our!communities.!!All!else!being!equal,!members!will!favor!a!strategy!that!offers!consumers! and!businesses!more!services;!however!members!are!not!seeking!to!procure!a!specific!suite! of!products!at!this!time.!!Rather,!they!are!seeking!strategies!to!collaborate!with!vendors!in! mutually!beneficial!ways!that!will!promote!their!communities!as!hubs!of!innovation!with! cutting!edge!networks!and!services!available!to!local!residents!and!businesses.!!In! particular,!the!members!believe!they!can!provide!a!low!cost!testVbed!for!service!providers! to!test!various!new!services!that!can,!after!the!testing!period,!be!rolled!out!to!the!broader! public.! ' 8. Please'provide'details'on'wireless'services'desired'for'the'campus'and'off]campus' geography''eg'WiFi,'3G/4G,'etc.''Is'the'University'looking'for'a'hotspot'network'to' provide'wireless'service'in'the'geography'or'just'a'CPE]based'wireless'device?''' Ubiquitous!and!robust!wireless!access!is!important!to!all!member!communities,!and! members!may!be!willing!to!consider!a!variety!of!technical!solutions!to!help!achieve!that! goal.!!To!realize!members!goals!of!serving!as!testVbeds!for!new!technologies!and! applications,!proposals!built!solely!around!wireless!solutions!will!ideally!focus!on!ultraVhigh! speed!offerings!capable!of!achieving!speeds!significantly!greater!than!those!currently!being! deployed!to!the!mass!market.!!As!explained!in!the!RFI,!we!consider!networks!capable!of! offering!users!services!at!100!Mbps!to!be!the!minimum!threshold!for!a!nextVgeneration! wireless!network.!!However,!in!addition!to!the!speeds!provided!by!the!networks,!members! may!also!consider!the!scale!of!any!new!deployments!or!network!upgrades,!the!range!of! features!or!services!provided!to!endVusers!as!well!as!the!cost!or!other!attributes!associated! with!the!services.!!!!! ' 9. Who'would'be'responsible'for'support'for'the'end]users'on'the'network?'' Gig.U!members!are!willing!to!consider!a!variety!of!business!arrangements!with!respect!to! providing!support!for!endVusers!on!the!network.!Support!for!endVusers!would!likely!involve! some!combination!of!vendor!and!subscriber!activities,!different!for!different!layers!of!the! OSI!model,!and!different!depending!upon!the!nature!of!the!services!(IP!traffic,!VLANS,! peering,!etc.)!!While!university!members!traditionally!assume!that!to!the!extent!a! commercial!provider!or!public/private!partnership!deploys!services!in!the!community,!that! provider!or!partnership!would!provide!support,!this!is!a!point!that!members!consider! worthy!of!additional!exploration!and!negotiations!as!the!delivered!services!specific!to!each! community!begins!to!gel!in!conversations!with!each!community.!!

' COMMUNITY'INFORMATION,'DEMAND'FORECASTS'AND'APPLICATIONS' !

28!

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A!number!of!vendors!submitted!fairly!detailed!questions!about!the!target!geography!or! products!of!interest!to!the!community!members.!!Some!of!those!questions!are!addressed! below.!!Site!by!site!subscriber!details,!both!geographic!and!analytical,!have!not!been!compiled! for!this!RFI.!!Members!recognize!such!details!will!likely!be!components!of!future!discussions! with!potential!vendors,!and!the!questions!submitted!helped!members!gauge!what!likely!will!be! needed!in!the!future!for!an!RFP.!!!In!the!interim,!members!hope!that!vendors!will!use!their!RFI! responses!to!provide!additional!insight!about!the!types!of!information!and!partnerships!that! will!be!of!greatest!interest!to!them.! ' 10. Who'is'the'community?'Do'the'communities'have'a'priority'order?''(i.e.'Healthcare,' MDUs,'etc.)' Please!refer!to!the!community!descriptions!included!in!the!community!overviews!for!more! information!about!how!each!individual!member!defines!its!community!for!the!purpose!of! this!project.!!!As!mentioned!in!the!RFI,!for!purposes!of!this!project,!Gig.U!members!may! define!their!communities!in!a!manner!that!does!not!align!perfectly!with!the!geographic! boundaries!of!political!subdivisions.!!For!example,!the!following!member!universities!and! their!community!partners!highlighted!target!geographies!that!do!not!align!perfectly!with! municipal!boundaries:!University!of!Chicago,!University!of!Washington,!Georgia!Institute!of! Technology,!Case!Western!Reserve!University,!Howard!University,!and!George!Mason! University.!! Many!members!are!interested!in!eventually!seeing!their!whole!municipality!receive!Gig+! bandwidth,!but!they!are!willing!to!adjust!downward!to!initiate!the!rollVout!process!even!if! they!did!not!do!so!when!preparing!their!community!overview.!!Other!members!have! indicated!an!interest!in!prioritizing!certain!geographies!or!types!of!endVusers,!but!all! members!are!generally!willing!to!work!with!potential!respondents!and!other!business! partners!to!prioritize!communities!in!a!manner!that!aligns!with!respondents!business! and/or!R&D!objectives.!!'

' 11. What'criteria'will'Gig.U'communities'use'to'identify'ultra'high'speed'broadband'sites?''

All!Gig.U!members!would!like!the!service!to!be!available!as!widely!as!possible!in!their! community!(as!defined!in!the!RFI).!!We!understand,!however,!that!there!are!tradeVoffs! between!coverage!and!cost!(and!therefore!price).!!Through!this!RFI!process,!Gig.U!members! hope!to!have!a!creative!conversation!with!all!interested!parties!as!to!how!to!optimize! coverage!for!the!communities!in!a!way!that!enables!at!least!one!provider!to!offer!the!next! generation!service!at!a!price!likely!to!attract!a!critical!mass!of!users.!!We!are!willing!to! explore!with!potential!vendors!ways!of!determining!demand!so!as!to!both!most!effectively! target!the!initial!rollVout!as!well!as!to!stimulate!demand!for!ongoing!network!deployments! or!upgrades.!!! ! 29!

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We!note!that!in!the!agreement!between!Google!and!Kansas!City,!the!parties!agree!that! Google!will!build!the!fiber!network!on!a!demandVdriven!basis,!allowing!the!citizens!of!City! to!determine!where!and!when!the!Project!will!be!deployed.!!Gig.U!members!would!be! willing!to!explore!similar!agreements!related!to!determining!the!extent!of!coverage!in!a! community.!!Members!are!seeking!to!cooperate!in!the!design,!planning,!construction!and! operation!of!the!Project,!but!they!expect!that!a!last!mile!provider!would!decide!where!to! build!the!initial!locations!of!the!Project!after!consulting!with!Community!and!University! leadership.! ' 12. Are'there'any'targeted'buildings'nearby'each'of'the'communities'that'the'GigU'members' require'that'service'providers'build'to'(i.e.'Library,'performing'center,'etc.)?''Is'Gig.U' envisioning'this'service'will'be'made'available'to'a'Gig.U'participants'community'anchor' institutions?''Its'local'businesses?''To'all'its'residences?''It'was'clear'that'Gig'U'is' interested'in'bi]directional'Gig]E'connectivity'is'there'any'prioritization'as'to'who'in'the' community'needs'Gig]E'bandwidth'first,'versus'other'community'members'who'can'settle' for'less'bandwidth'up'front?'' As!noted!in!response!to!question!11,!members!hope!to!engage!in!a!creative!conversation! with!private!sector!entities!to!optimize!coverage!in!their!individual!communities.!!The! members!believe!there!are!a!number!of!attractive!targets!for!deployment!in!their! communities!that!serve!both!economic!goals!of!the!service!provider!and!the!innovation! goals!of!this!Project,!including:!1)!high!volume!student!housing!proximate!to!institutions! typifies!many!of!our!communities,!2)!offVcampus!institutional!sites,!3)!private!sector! businesses!that!rely!heavily!on!large!data!exchanges,!and!4)!public!sector!anchor! institutions.!!! ' 13. Please'provide'the'complete'mailing/physical'addresses'of'the'data'center(s)'and'telecom' building(s)'that'the'GigU'Members'would'like'to'have'the'proposed'network' interconnect/built'to.''' Please!refer!to!the!response!to!questions!11!and!12.!!Gig.U!members!are!willing!to!work! with!private!sector!partners!to!optimize!coverage.! !! 14. Will'the'GigU'members/communities'actively'seek'out'the'"demand"'within'its'respective' community?'The'lack'of'any'demand'side'statistics'will'hamper'capital'investment.'' We!believe,!given!the!preVexisting!use!by!faculty,!staff,!students!and!others!in!our! communities,!that!we!have!the!highest!demand!for!bandwidth!of!any!set!of!communities!in! the!United!States.!Therefore,!we!are!the!most!logical!place!to!test!the!demand!for!next! generation!speeds,!as!well!as!being!the!most!likely!communities!to!develop!the!innovations! that!will!drive!increased!demand!in!other!communities.!!Gig.U!members!are!willing!to! 30!

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explore!with!potential!providers!techniques!that!could!help!determine!where!in!the! community!that!demand!is!likely!to!be!highest!and!develop!a!deployment!schedule!that! reflects!that!expressed!demand.!!' ' 15. What'would'each'community'envision'as'the'aggregate'demand'forecast'for'services'from' the'University?''From'the'students'in'dormitories?''From'the'business'community?''From' the'residences'in'the'community/off'campus'housing?''Any'demand'research'or'forecast' from'any'institution'which'could'be'used'as'a'base'case'would'be'greatly'appreciated.'' Gig.U!members!understand!the!tradeVoffs!between!coverage!and!cost.!!Gig.U!members!are! willing!to!explore!a!wide!variety!of!techniques!with!potential!providers!to!help!determine! where!in!the!community!that!demand!is!likely!to!be!highest!and!various!factors!that!can! help!affect!demand!to!develop!a!deployment!schedule!that!reflects!that!expressed!demand.!!! ' 16. Is'there'any'available'community'research'(residential'and'business'profiles)'that'the' membership'can'share'to'better'assist'respondents'in'measuring'the'potential' opportunity?' Please!refer!to!the!community!profiles!provided!in!the!appendix!of!the!RFI.!!! ' 17. Please'describe'any'successful'community'(national,'state,'or'local)'initiatives'Gig.U'may' have'based'its'research'on.'Are'there'any'comparable'models'(US'or'Internationals)'we' could'draw'knowledge'from'in'preparing'our'strategy?' US!Models:!Gig.U!was!perhaps!most!influenced!by!Googles!efforts!in!Kansas!City!and! Stanford!and!the!Case!Connection!Zone,!but!other!initiatives!that!may!be!informative!as! respondents!consider!strategies!include!the!healthcare!ITVrelated!collaboration!between! Duke!and!Verizon!and!the!efforts!of!Sonic.net.! The!three!major!distinctions!between!the!Google!Community!Fiber!Initiative!and!the!Gig.U! idea!are:!1)!we!seek!to!have!many!more!communities!involved!as!we!believe!a!critical!mass! of!diverse!communities!is!necessary!to!develop!the!innovations!that!are!at!the!heart!of!the! mission!of!this!project;!2)!we!seek!a!diversity!of!potential!providers,!rather!than!relying!on! one!provider!and!therefore!only!one!model;!and!3)!we!are!targeting!university! communities,!as!we!believe!they!are!the!best!targets!for!such!deployments,!both!from! economic!interests!of!the!entities!involved!and!the!positive!externalities!for!the!broadband! ecosystem!and!the!country!that!may!result!from!the!effort.!!The!Google!agreements!with! Kansas!City!demonstrate!that!communities!interested!in!becoming!hubs!of!technological! innovation!are!willing!to!work!with!the!private!sector!to!find!mutually!beneficial! arrangements!that!will!result!in!the!deployment!of!next!generation!networks.!

31!

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The!Case!Connection!Zone!helps!show!that!several!community!partners,!including!the! university,!have!an!interest!in!creating!a!relatively!contained!test!bed!to!explore!innovations! made!possible!by!the!deployment!of!next!generation!networks!and!the!realVworld!impact! those!innovations!can!have!in!terms!of!inspiring!new!businesses!and!improving!the!quality! of!life!for!residents!in!health,!energy,!safety!and!education.! Googles!efforts!in!Stanford!and!Verizons!collaboration!with!Duke!help!validate!the!premise! that!there!is!value!to!the!private!sector!to!collaborating!with!university!communities!for! innovations!in!technology.!!While!the!Google!and!Verizon!models!are!very!different!they!are! just!two!of!the!many!examples!that!support!the!notion!that!university!communities!can! help!private!sector!entities!further!their!own!innovation!agendas.!!! Finally,!the!efforts!of!Sonic.net!to!base!deployment/upgrade!decisions!on!a!relatively!simple! method!of!collecting!information!about!consumer!demand!may!be!of!interest.!! International!efforts:!There!are!a!number!of!other!next!generation!initiatives!around!the! world,!including!in!Japan,!Hong!Kong,!Spain,!Sweden!and!Portugal,!with!additional!efforts!in! Korea!and!the!Netherlands!expected!soon.!!While!Gig.U!members!are!open!to!lessons! learned!from!these!projects!and!the!models!that!made!them!possible,!our!initial!view!is!that! the!market!structure!in!the!United!States,!as!well!as!other!factors,!are!such!that!we!will! have!to!be,!and!indeed!we!should!be,!innovative!in!creating!the!model!for!rolling!out!next! generation!networks.!!In!short,!Gig.U!is!comfortable!with!the!idea!that!we!are!not!imitating! a!model;!rather,!in!the!best!American!tradition,!we!are!creating!one.! Further,!we!note!that!we!have!been!contacted!by!a!number!of!universities!and!others!in! other!countries!seeking!assistance!in!creating!similar!efforts!in!their!countries!but!we!have! chosen!to!focus!on!the!opportunity!in!the!United!States.!!!We!note!this!as!we!believe!that! while!the!models!from!other!countries!are!unlikely!to!work!in!the!United!States,!the!Gig.U! model!of!Service!Provider/Community!collaboration!in!university!communities!is!likely!to! work!in!a!number!of!other!countries.!!We!welcome!the!efforts!in!other!countries,!but!it!is! our!hope!that!we!can!develop!a!broader!footprint!of!next!generation!communities!more! rapidly!than!in!other!countries.!!!

' 18. In'the'community'of'interest,'who'is'the'incumbent'network'operator,'and'what'services' are'required'that'they'are'not'already'providing?' Gig.U!members!are!interested!in!working!with!all!interested!private!sector!entities,! including!our!incumbent!providers,!to!create!testVbeds!for!affordable,!ultraVhigh!speed! broadband!networks!and!services.!!Incumbent!providers!serving!our!member!communities! do!not!currently!offer!residential!endVusers!broadband!service!at!or!even!close!to!the! thresholds!identified!in!the!RFI.!!Information!regarding!future!upgrades!that!may!provide! service!approaching!the!Gig.U!threshold!is!not!available.!We!hope!to!use!this!process!to! develop!strategies!that!will!change!the!analysis!for!incumbent!providers!and/or!other! private!sector!entities.!!We!believe!that!targeted!investments!akin!to!other!R&D! ! 32!

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investments!can!produce!longVterm!profits!for!the!private!sector!by!helping!them!discover! or!develop!new!products,!extend!or!expand!demand!for!existing!services!and!provide!a! competitive!advantage!visVVvis!other!providers.! ' VENDOR'INCENTIVES' ' 19. Will'any'campus'participating'in'Gig.U'provide'cost'saving'options'in'deploying'ultra'high] speed'networks']]''e.g.'access'to'rights'of'way,'conduit,'entrance'facilities,'etc.'If'so,'which' campus(es)?' Several!members!including,!but!not!necessarily!limited!to:!Colorado!State/Ft.!Collins,! University!of!North!CarolinaVChapel!Hill,!and!University!of!Washington/Seattle!mentioned! specific!incentives!in!their!community!overviews,!but!all!members!are!willing!to!explore!cost! saving!options!within!their!control!and!are!willing!to!work!with!other!members!of!their! communities!to!see!if!there!are!additional!cost!savings!options!beyond!the!control!of!the! members.!!Section!V.D.!of!the!RFI!is!intended!to!elicit!vendor!feedback!regarding!how! members!can!do!this!most!effectively.! The!identities!of!incumbent!network!operators!are!listed!in!the!appendix!to!the!RFI.!!!!

' 20. Will'any'campus'participating'in'Gig.U'act'as'an'anchor'institution'for'new'ultra'high] speed'services?'''If'so,'which'campus(es)?''Will'any'campus'participating'in'Gig.U'enter' into'an'exclusive'agreement'with'the'successful'vendor'to'the'campus'and'the' surrounding'community?'If'so,'which'campus(es)?'

To!the!extent!not!barred!by!existing!law!or!contract,!universities!participating!in!Gig.U!are! interested!in!working!with!their!local!community!partners!and!exploring!with!potential! vendors!any!arrangement!that!could!be!leveraged!to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next! generation!broadband!networks!and!services.!!! We!understand!that!before!responding!to!a!future!RFP,!vendors!may!desire!a!certain!degree! of!certainty!with!respect!to!revenue!streams!or!cost!reductions,!and!we!hope!that!the! responses!to!the!RFI!will!include!detailed!information!about!the!level!of!commitment!or! cost!reduction!necessary!to!incent!a!certain!level!of!deployment!or!investment!in!the! community.!!!

! 21. Do'you'envision'that'the'Gig.U'initiative'would'include'a'University/'Company' partnership'to'co]develop'applications'which'require'high'network'speeds?'

Gig.U!members!are!willing!to!consider!a!variety!of!business!arrangements!or!partnerships!to! incent!the!private!sector!to!invest!in!next!generation!networks!and!services!and!foster! innovation!throughout!our!communities.!!For!example,!we!note!the!recent!partnership! ! 33!

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' 22. Which'of'the'Gig.U'members'would'be'willing'to'provide'documented'support'allowing' the'use'of'the'wastewater'system'for'the'purposes'of'deploying'fiber]optic'cable?' In!general,!members!are!willing!to!consider!allowing!use!of!the!wastewater!system!for!the! purpose!of!deploying!fiber!optic!cable,!but!they!are!not!in!a!position!to!commit!to!such!uses! without!additional!information.! ' CONTRACTING' ' 23. What'is'Gig.Us'role'in'campus'and'service'provider'discussions?''Will'Gig.U'act'as'a'party' in'negotiations?' Gig.U!is!a!platform!to!facilitate!conversations!between!the!communities!best!suited!to!serve! as!testVbeds!for!next!generation!networks!and!services!and!potential!providers!of!such! networks!and!services.!!Gig.U!is!advising!its!members!in!these!conversations!but!it!does!not! have!the!authority!to!commit!any!of!its!members!to!any!proposal!or!conditions.! ' 24. Who'will'be'the'contracting'entity'for'services'(Member'University,'City,'New'Entity,' GigU)?''Contracting''How'does'Gig.U'anticipate'successful'vendors'contracting'with' members?' Gig.U!members!hope!to!stimulate!private!sector!investment!in!world!leading!networks!in! their!communities.!!Member!universities!and!communities!are!willing!to!work!with!the! private!sector!to!identify!creative!and!effective!strategies!to!lower!the!cost!and/or!increase! the!expected!revenue!associated!with!these!networks.!!! When!the!RFI!process!is!completed,!Gig.U!will!provide!all!its!members!with!potential! frameworks!for!contracting!with!vendors!on!an!individual!and!potentially,!regional,!sectoral,! or!national!basis.!!While!such!contracting!will!be!subject!to!all!applicable!state!and!local! laws,!we!welcome!ideas!from!potential!vendors!as!how!to!structure!such!contracting!to! facilitate!the!mission!of!Gig.U.! Depending!upon!the!strategy!employed,!the!parties!to!a!contract!could!include!member! universities,!cities,!new!entities,!local!utilities!and/or!other!stakeholders!with!assets!and/or! resources!to!contribute!to!the!efforts.! ' 25. Successful'vendors'may'have'existing'contractual'relationships'with'Gig.U'members'and' affiliated'business'communities.'Please'describe'how'these'existing'contracts'could'be' leveraged'to'accelerate'deployment'of'next'generation'broadband'networks.' ! 34!

between!Duke!and!Verizon!in!the!health!care!area!as!an!example!of!the!kind!of!partnership! the!members!are!interested!in!discussing.!

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To!the!extent!not!barred!by!existing!law!or!contract,!universities!and!communities! participating!in!Gig.U!are!interested!in!exploring!with!potential!vendors!any!arrangement! that!could!be!leveraged!to!accelerate!the!deployment!of!next!generation!broadband! networks!and!services.!!Such!arrangements!may!include!leveraging!existing!contractual! relationships!where!doing!so!is!consistent!with!local!procurement!policies.! ' 26. The'Universal'Service'Fund'programs,'E]rate'and'Rural'Healthcare,'have'rules'regarding' competitive'bidding'as'well'as'service'provider'interactions'with'applicants'prior'to' issuance'of'an'RFP.'''Has'Gig.U'analyzed'these'rules'and'provided'campuses'guidance'so' as'not'to'jeopardize'the'school,'library'or'hospitals'ability'to'receive'program'benefits?' The!Gig.U!process!is!open!and!all!responses!will!be!reviewed!equally.!!This!Request!for! Information!is!not!intended!as!a!precursor!to!a!Universal!Service!Fund!Program!Request!for! Proposals.!!Each!Project!Member!and!responding!vendor!is!responsible!for!their!entitys! compliance!with!any!local,!state!or!federal!procurement!rules!including!the!competitive! bidding!rules!associated!with!the!Universal!Service!Fund!programs.! ' RELATIONSHIP'WITH'R&E'NETWORKS' ' 27. What'will'the'role'of'the'NREN's'(Internet2'and'NLR)'have'in'the'GigU'initiative?''Many'of' the'GigU'Members'are'Authorized'Quilt'Buyers,'what'(if'any),'will'The'Quilt's'role'be'in' the'GigU'initiative?''North'Carolina']'https://www.mcnc.org/news/ncren]internet2] events]draw]state]national]IT]leaders]to]triangle']'Please'describe'any'associations'with' MCNC,'NCREN'initiatives'supporting'Internet2'and'broadband'expansion'already' underway'in'North'Carolina' Gig.U!members!are!in!discussions!with!a!number!of!the!research!and!education!networks! about!ways!the!R&E!networks!can!assist!in!the!mission!of!accelerating!the!deployment!of! next!generation!networks!and!services.!!We!also!encourage!others!to!discuss!partnerships! with!the!research!and!education!networks!that!could!result!in!accelerating!deployment!of! next!generation!networks!and!services.!!It!is!not!the!intent!of!Gig.U!to!in!anyway!duplicate! the!services!provided!by!the!R!&E!networks.! ' FINANCING' ' 28. The'RFI'states'there'is'low'probability'of'receiving'federal'funds'for'this'project.'Please' describe'any'other'current'funding'resources'that'are'committed.''' There!are!no!other!funding!resources!committed!to!the!Gig.U!effort!at!this!time.!!As!with! the!agreement!between!Google!and!the!cities!where!it!will!be!building!out!its!gigabit! network,!many!of!the!Gig.U!member!communities!are!seeking!to!incent!private!sector! ! 35!

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investment!in!the!construction!and!operation!of!the!network!by!lowering!the!costs!of! capital!expenditures,!operating!expenditures,!and!risk,!and!increasing!potential!revenue! through!the!actions!and/or!commitments!of!various!community!entities,!including!the! municipality,!the!university,!utilities,!anchor!institutions,!and!others.!! We!note!that!Gig.U!members!may!be!open!to!a!variety!of!arrangements!with!respect!to!the! allocation!of!financial!risk!among!the!parties.!!Respondents!have!an!opportunity!to!discuss! the!potential!allocation!of!financial!risk!among!the!parties!in!response!to!the!information! request!in!Section!V.C.7!of!the!RFI.!!

' OTHER' ! 29. Please'name'any'private/public'companies'who'have'expressed'an'interest'in'the'Gig.U' initiatives.'

Attached!please!find!a!list!of!private!sector!companies!that!either!attended!the!workshop!in! Chicago!or!otherwise!have!requested!information!about!Gig.U!and!the!RFI.!! ! ! ! ! !

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Attachment'B:'Selected'Articles'about'Gig.U'
' Candidates'could'talk'about'something'important,'Editorial,'JournalVStar.com,'January!9,! 2012' ' The'Year'Ahead'in'IT,'2012,'Lev!Gonick,'Inside!Higher!Ed,'January!6,!2012' ! Building'a'Knowosphere,'One'Cable'and'Campus'at'a'Time,'Andrew!Revkin,'New!York! Times'January!4,!2012' ! So'Much'Fun.'So'Irrelevant.'Thomas!L.!Friedman,'New!York!Times!(The!Albany!Times!Union,! The!Sacramento!Bee,!El!Paso!Inc.,!NextBigFuture.com)'January!3,!2012' ! Opinion:'Gig.U'and'the'next'innovation'platform,'Rey!Ramsey,'Silicon!Valley!Mercury!News' January!1,!2012! ! Seattle'and'UW'look'to'light'up'500'miles'of'fiber'to'help'solve'broadband'woes,'John!Cook,' GeekWire,!November!13,!2011' ! gig.u''higher'speed'Net'around'universities'for'jobs'and'innovation,Craig!Newmark,'San! Francisco!Chronicle,'July!31,!2011' ! Gig.U's'speedier'Internet,'Los!Angeles!Times,'Editorial,'July!30,!2011' ! Colleges'Join'Plan'for'Faster'Computer'Networks,John!Markoff,'New!York!Times! (Hyperorg.com)'July!27,!2011' ! 29'universities'seek'high]speed'networks,!Alan!Scher!Zagler,!Associated!Press!(USA!Today,! Forbes.com,!KOMUVTV8,!Bloomberg!Businessweek,!NewsVLeader,!Kansas!City!Star,!The! Street.com)'July!27,!2011' ! Universities'to'bring'1Gbps'broadband'to'local'communities,'Marguerite!Reardon,! CNET.com,!July!27,!2011' ! Gig.U'hopes'to'bring'Gigabit'networks'and'straight'cash,'homey,'to'university'communities,' Micahel!Gorman,!Engadget.com,!July!27,!2011' ! Universities'Launch'Ultra]high]speed'Broadband'Initiative,'Grant!Gross,!PCWorld.com,!July! 27,!2011' ! ! 37!

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Duke,'Penn'State'Among'Group'Pushing'to'Fund'Faster'Internet,'Ryan!Mac!,!Bloomberg,!July! 27,!2011' ! Gig.U'project'aims'to'bring'gigabit'Internet'to'college'communities,'Devindra!Hardawar,' VentureBeat.com,'July!27,!2011' ! Universities'Start'Effort'to'Extend'Broadband'to'Local'Communities,'Jie!Jenny!Zou,'The! Chronicle!of!Higher!Ed,'July!27,!2011' ! Are'You'Getting'a'Gigabit'Fiber'Connection?'Anders!Bylund,!The!Motley!Fool,'July!27,!2011' !!

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