Q:  What is Connected Tennessee?

A:

Connected Tennessee is an independent non-profit organization that develops and implements effective strategies for technology deployment, use and literacy in Tennessee.  Connected Tennessee works in partnership with telecommunications and information technology providers, public agencies, business leaders, community leaders, researchers and universities in an effort to meet the goals of the Trail to Innovation. Connected Tennessee works to ensure the state remains the setting of choice for families and businesses by leveraging the best in technology for all of Tennessee.

Q:   What is broadband?

A:

The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access often, both terms are used interchangeably. The FCC currently defines basic broadband service as data transmission speeds exceeding 768 kilobits per second (Kbps), or 768,000 bits per second, in at least one direction: downstream (from the Internet to the user’s computer) or upstream (from the user’s computer to the Internet). Broadband may be delivered using a number of different technologies including digital subscriber line (DSL), cablemodem, fixed wireless, broadband over power lines (BPL), Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) or satellite among others.

Q:  How is broadband different from a dial-up connection?

A:

Broadband service provides a higher speed of data transmission, which allows more content to be carried through the transmission “pipeline.”  Broadband provides access to the highest quality Internet services, which includes but is not limited to: electronic healthcare, online and distance education, videoconferencing, Voice over Internet Protocol (Internet phone), streaming media and interactive services. Many of these current services require the transfer of large amounts of data which are painstakingly slow to download with a dial-up service. Broadband service may be increasingly necessary to access the full range of services and opportunities that the Internet offers. Another great benefit to having a broadband connection is that it’s always “on” and won’t block phone lines.  

Q:  Can I get broadband from Connected Tennessee?

A:

Connected Tennessee is not a broadband provider. We do, however, work to accelerate the expansion of broadband to every corner of Tennessee through public-private partnerships. If broadband is available in your area, Connected Tennessee will be able to refer you to the existing broadband providers. If you would like broadband, but it’s currently not available in your area, let us know. Your information is valuable to us as it helps us to more effectively map broadband availability throughout the state.

Q:  How did Connected Tennessee begin?

A:

Connected Tennessee began under the umbrella of Connected Nation, a non-profit organization based in Washington who specializes in increasing technology access and literacy towards greater digital inclusion for all.  The national model is based on Connected Nation’s success in Kentucky.  ConnectKentucky and the Prescription for Innovation have helped that state realize remarkable broadband and technology expansion since the launch of the initiative in late 2004.

Q:  Why are your maps important?

A:

Our broadband inventory maps help us to know where broadband is, and more importantly, where it is not. By engaging providers of broadband in a manner that preserves the intent of their business plans, Connected Tennessee is able to build coalitions of private sector broadband providers who agree to share their deployment data for the greater communal and public sector benefit. Our approach creates an inventory of existing services while providing a detailed picture of where broadband gaps need to be addressed. Connected Tennessee’s market intelligence (maps, survey data and grassroots demand aggregation) benefits companies by causing the cost of doing business to go down and the ease of doing business to go up. The broadband mapping initiative is simply the first step in identifying and actually measuring the need.

Q:  Are you a part of Tennessee state government?

A:

Though we work closely with state government, our employees are not employed by the state. Connected Tennessee is part of a larger entity, Connected Nation, a national non-profit organization that partners with other state-centric non-profit organizations as they promote the acceleration of technology and broadband Internet across their states.

Q:  I already have broadband at home, what can Connected Tennessee do for me?

A:

It’s great news that you already have broadband at home, but that doesn’t exempt you from reaping the benefits of having a “connected” Tennessee.  Assuring that broadband is available to everyone in the state will have a ripple effect economically and socially, creating a better place to do business and a better place to live. In addition to the availability of broadband, Connected Tennessee will be working with public and private organizations to improve current applications so that all Tennesseans can take advantage of the infrastructure that will be in place.

Q:  I live in a rural area and don’t even own a computer, why should I care about Connected Tennessee?

A:

Your investment in Connected Tennessee is very important as rural areas are those where broadband is least likely to be deployed. It’s crucial that rural communities cross the digital divide and become connected to the wired world. Too many rural areas of our nation are being overlooked by broadband providers, but you can change that by creating the demand that is necessary to drive a broadband movement in your neck of the woods.  Broadband and the work of Connected Tennessee will create an information highway, putting rural areas on equal footing with the more urban areas. It will allow you to have access to the same resources currently available in the more populated areas.

Q:  What is an eCommunity Leadership Team and how does it work?

A:

One of the important aspects of Connected Tennessee’s approach to technology growth is the eCommunity Leadership Teams and the members on those teams. We are working to ensure that each community in Tennessee will have a local leadership team to plan for their unique technology growth. Members of the local team come from each sector within the community including: healthcare, K-12 education, higher education, business and industry, agriculture, libraries, community-based organizations, tourism and parks, and government. Over a course of meetings, the team brainstorms about how to improve technology deployment and adoption throughout the community by answering three questions:

1. Where are we today?
2. Where do we want to be?
3. How do we get there?

The meetings culminate in a Strategic Technology Report – a plan that has laid the foundation for the steps that need to be taken in each county to get from where they are today to where they want to be. Lastly, the leadership team will provide important assistance in the implementation phase of the plans following the planning stage.

Q:  How can I participate in Connected Tennessee?

A:

If you are an individual interested in technology growth in your community and in Tennessee, you should become a member of your county’s eCommunity Leadership Team. Contact Michael Ramage to learn how at mramage@connectedtn.org.