Skycasters Talks ARRA
with Ohio Governor Strickland
Akron, Ohio - July 2, 2009 Yesterday, the day the first USDA and NTIA “Notice of Funds Availability” for ARRA broadband initiatives was released, Skycasters’ President, Mike Kister, met with Ohio’s Governor, Ted Strickland. The two discussed the role that Skycasters will play in bringing broadband access to un-served and underserved areas.
“I was able to talk with Governor Strickland about broadband communications in the US,” said Mike after his return, “including ARRA’s goal of universal accessibility, as well as specific needs in the area of telemedicine. We focused on the rapid deployment of satellite solutions versus laying of fiber, and the immediate impact that would have on creating jobs in Northeast Ohio.”
Kister and Strickland discussed Ohio’s focus on enhancing its broadband coverage, in part through the ARRA mandate and goal of universal broadband availability, with the two goals of increasing our nation’s competitiveness in the global marketplace and creation of new jobs.
Central to understanding the challenge of bringing broadband to underserved areas is recognizing the two components of any solution: the "last mile" (distribution within the area to be served) and the "middle mile” (connecting that area to the Internet backbone).
Kister laid out the Skycasters proposed solution to provide the last mile with Wi-Max and Wi-Fi towers, using satellite as the middle mile on an interim basis until the proposed fiber infrastructure is completed. “Using satellite will allow us to bring broadband access to large areas of the country now, so that our nation can reap the benefits of broadband connectivity sooner rather than later. Once the fiber is available, the last mile infrastructure can be backhauled with fiber, while the satellite connection is retained to serve the crucial role as a backup.” Under such a model, our nation won’t have to wait years to meet the goals of ARRA.
Skycasters is uniquely suited to provide this middle-mile backhaul. Unlike residential-grade satellite, the Skycasters network infrastructure was designed to deliver the high performance that will be required to implement such a solution. It is the robust primary connection until fiber arrives, and then serves redundancy requirements.
And all from a headquarters in Akron, Ohio. “We do not outsource jobs or ship them overseas,” Mike told Governor Strickland. “So any ARRA funding that specifies a Skycasters solution will create jobs here, in Northeast Ohio.”
About Skycasters
Skycasters is the leader in broadband satellite Internet solutions for businesses, including disaster first responders, that need more than traditional terrestrial landlines. Everything in Skycasters’ infrastructure, including teleports, hubs, and the network operating center, is business-grade and company-owned. The equipment at your location is business-grade, and designed to meet the unique challenges of your industry, no matter how rugged the conditions. Skycasters’ 24/7 tech support and customer service in-house experts can resolve any issue that may arise.
Call Skycasters at , or visit us on the web at www.skycasters.com.
SOURCE Skycasters, LLC.
-30-
07/02/2009
CONTACT: Media, Michael P. Kister, President, +1-330-785-2100,
or Gordon H. Landefeld, Marketing, +1-330-785-2100,
both of Skycasters, LLC.
Web site: http://www.skycasters.com/
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