<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;">Hi All!</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes the "invisible hand of the market place" just needs a little help. Three Colorado counties (Lake, Gilpin, Clear Creek) have taken the approach that if you want broadband for your community you should follow the "just ask" policy. To that end, those county governments have compiled Broadband Assessments and issued requests for proposals (RFP) asking the private sector what they can and will provide to the communities in terms of broadband infrastructure and services. </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;">Gilpin and Clear Creek's documents can be found here:</div><div><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><a href="http://www.co.gilpin.co.us/Commissioners/Anncmts%20Pub%20Notices/Clear_Creek_Gilpin_Broadband_Assessment_RFP-01-16-2014.pdf">http://www.co.gilpin.co.us/Commissioners/Anncmts%20Pub%20Notices/Clear_Creek_Gilpin_Broadband_Assessment_RFP-01-16-2014.pdf</a></font></div><div><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">Lake County here: </font></div><div><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br></font></div><div><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><a href="http://www.lakecountyco.com/sites/default/files/Lake%20County%20Broadband%20Assessment%20Request%20for%20Proposal.pdf">http://www.lakecountyco.com/sites/default/files/Lake%20County%20Broadband%20Assessment%20Request%20for%20Proposal.pdf</a></font></div><div><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br></font></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;">Text of Lake County's press release follows:</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt;"><br></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">LEADVILLE: Lake County Government today announced the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for better Internet services. The RFP comes in tandem with the release of the Lake County Broadband Assessment, a detailed study of the broadband environment for the county. The goal of the exercise is “better broadband by Labor Day”. </font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">The Broadband Assessment revealed only one middle mile (telecommunications route to the outside world) provider serving the county, contributing to a market that can be described as monopolistic. Internet speed test data (actual speeds, not advertised speeds) indicate broadband speeds are available only in downtown Leadville. The rest of Lake County is technically “unserved”. </font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">“Broadband equals economic development.” states Lake County Economic Development Council Executive Director Nicole Thompson, “Better broadband enables us to foster location neutral businesses and employees. It enables our economy to diversify beyond tourism and extraction. This may often mean the difference between keeping or losing businesses.”</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">The advantage of the assessment followed by an RFP is that it enables a community to leverage existing market forces to improve the broadband environment at little or no financial risk to the community. “This Broadband Assessment, along with the RFP, will help us get better broadband in our communities by Labor Day.” commented Lake County Commissioner Mike Bordogna, a long-time proponent for broadband in his county. “It's a simple matter of helping supply to meet our growing demand.”</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">“"Broadband service has quickly become the "fourth utility" and we must provide all in Lake County with affordable and reliable access. Broadband is an integral part of life and how we learn, work and communicate," commented Lake County Commissioner Dolores Semsack. </font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">A 2013 Lake Connect (the Local Technology Planning Team for Lake County) Internet user survey revealed:</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">-67% of respondents have no access to broadband</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">-33% of respondents report their Internet service is unreliable</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">-67% report they would switch Internet service providers (ISP) if offered faster service at the same price</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">-25% of respondents reported they would expand their business if they had access to faster Internet</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">-50% of respondents report broadband as mission critical for their businesses</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">“In helping supply to meet demand, we get better broadband without the capital investment. ” states Lake County Commissioner Bruce Hix. “We must ensure our school kids have all the Internet access they need to get a 21st century education both in the classroom and at home. It is our job as commissioners to ensure Lake County is not on the wrong side of the Digital Divide. Our schools and students must be ready for next year’s online TCAP tests.”</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style="">The Broadband Assessment and RFP are available on the Lake County Government website with responses due March 07. The aim of the Broadband Assessment and RFP process is to enable service providers to complete any necessary construction in the 2014 construction season resulting in better broadband by Labor Day in Lake County.</font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><font face="verdana, geneva" size="2" style=""><br style=""></font></div><div style=""><br></div><div style=""><br style=""></div></span></body></html>