Communications Minutes 121511.pdf

SouthWest Common Council
Communications Committee Minutes
Meeting Date: 12/15/11

Attendance:
John Boutet (Location19), Eleanor Coleman (SWAN), Joan Roby-Davison
Guest: Tarak L. Bolt, Frontier Communications

TOPIC
Presentation:  Frontier Communications

NOTES

• Tarak L. Bolt, Enterprise Account Executive, East Region, works with local universities, including University of Rochester; arranged for conference call with Maggie Quinn, Director of Wireless Sales and Solutions for Frontier.
• Is Frontier involved or familiar with any other communities that have a WiFi mesh network? Frontier has more municipal wireless networks in the country than any other; 19 active throughout the country; also active locally (Brighton, Fairport, Pittsford & Greece)
• More than WiFi; security camera networks; using bandwidth for both; varying levels of budgetary success
•   Current WiFi coverage areas are from 2 blocks to 7 sq. miles
• Public/private partnerships; have created non-profit consolidation groups to achieve networking goals
• Help with grants; grants are available for security networks
• Frontier interested in partnering with us; Frontier can also assist with the capital funding and financing of system as well; Frontier has creative ways to finance capital outlay
• Want people to become more connected in the neighborhood; RACF grant could help; how do we keep it up? Frontier would manage the network; some type of recurring charge; Frontier owns and operates everything.
• Marketing tool for real estate; makes neighborhood more desirable
• Some residents don’t have email capacity;
• What about bus hot spots? Could be done with a mobile unit. Mobile security camera on buses could enhance safety of bus passengers while also including WiFi capacity
• Will get us in touch with Christine Burke, locally in charge of federal and state funding opportunities.
• Hundreds of UR students in the community; could be connectivity from UR campus wireless network to a SW Quadrant municipal network; students could access on campus wireless network from off campus.
• Process can be done in steps; start with one area and build out.
• Frontier can add in Netbooks and other types of contributions to low-income households
• Would be good to do a door-to-door campaign to learn about internet and computer access per household; Eleanor mentioned that we are looking to do this with Grow Green and urban agriculture
• Would be helpful to identify some areas from where we could start and build out

FOLLOW-UP

NEXT STEPS

• Determine Phase I costs
• Meet again in one month
• Grant research (Joan & Frontier)
• Survey SWAN Constituents
• Identify where/how in community wi-fi can be used (involve the neighborhoods in SW Quadrant)

 Special thanks to UR’s Colleen McCarthy & Robert Evangelista for making this connection