Municipal and Cooperative Utility Solutions

Utility Network Investments that Meet Your Goals

Whether you are a municipal or cooperative electric utility already serving your area and want to expand broadband access, or you are beginning your journey down that path, Strategic Networks Group offers solutions that specifically address the challenges and needs of local utilities who want to retain and sustainably grow their rate base. We understand public and co-op utilities (especially rural electric member cooperatives) have a unique role and opportunity to work with your communities to ensure that quality broadband is available to all who want it.

Broadband is the new essential infrastructure for communities and regions. Communities need to take control of their broadband future. Engaging with those who benefit in the development of a solution is an essential part of the process.

The following SNG solutions are focused on addressing the needs of public utilities and the communities they serve.

Assessing the Case for Investing in Broadband Networks as Infrastructure

Communities and Regions Without Networks

Challenge / Need Solution

Is there enough demand for broadband services? Where is demand strong and where do you need to drive demand? Where should you prioritize your investments?

You need empirical evidence and impartial assessment of broadband access, adoption and usage to take leadership in developing a solution to address broadband needs

SNG’s Digital Economy Demand Checkup service provides SNG’s industry-leading digital economy metrics and data collection tools for localities considering broadband and digital infrastructure projects. The service is designed to be a practical and cost-effective way for localities to assess whether they have enough of an addressable market by gathering demand data directly from residents, businesses, and organizations.

Assessing broadband demand is one of the first steps a locality can and should take as they decide where and how to get started.

Understand whether it is economically feasible to invest in broadband infrastructure as a platform for the community – do the benefits outweigh the costs?

 

Economic Feasibility Assessment – is the foundational first step that answers “Does this infrastructure investment pay-off for our community?” by quantifying:

  • Municipal / county cost reductions compared to existing broadband costs for existing and planned municipal / county facilities.
  • Cost reductions to community anchor institutions, such as schools and libraries.
  • Cost savings for households, making broadband more affordable and creating consumer surplus for local spending.
  • Economic growth from increased business competitiveness and productivity.

Understand how to move forward quickly, build buy-in, and avoid pitfalls

 

Broadband Toolkit – Provides guidance and tools to move local leaders through the process of investing in and implementing broadband.

Community Broadband Readiness Self-Assessment – Provides a framework for communities to engage local stakeholders and assess key broadband success factors they need to address.

Market Assessment – to identify new demand and benchmark current broadband use to develop a sustainable network business and operations plan.

Sustainably finance network backbone for community / region Municipal Cost Reductions – Assess whether long-term (15-25 years) community benefits outweigh investment costs.
Sustainably finance last-mile roll-outs Demand Aggregation – Build to committed demand using online tools (e.g. a demand aggregation platform) through which property owners opt-in to broadband improvement zones, introducing additional financial organization options outside of municipal or county debt or raising taxes.

 

Communities and Regions With Networks

Challenge / Need Solution
Measure the impacts from the investment in broadband infrastructure. Economic Baseline – Collect empirical data from individual businesses, organizations, and households on changes in their utilization and impacts they have realized.

  • “Here’s why we invested …”
Grow local demand and drive meaningful use of the network to:

  • Sell more services on a wholesale level
  • Attract retail providers to offer competitive services

Discover/create models and tools to help networks become sustainable and to maximize community return on investment.

Market Assessment – Identify potential demand and benchmark current broadband use in order to develop a sustainable network business and operations plan.

Small Business Growth Program – Drive demand, turning potential demand into active demand.

Demand Aggregation – Sign up new demand to extend network to areas of committed demand.

  • “We’re only as successful as our retail providers and here is how we help them maximize value from our network.”
  • “These are the growth opportunities in our community.”

 

SNG offers these services to PUDs in Washington State through the WPUDA and NoaNet. For more information on these tools and resources, please visit:

http://www.noanet.net/pud-resources.aspx