Eric Biltonen, CNRED Educator, St. Croix County

1. Broadband Expansion in
St. Croix County
Eric Biltonen, Ph.D.
CNRED Educator
St. Croix County
January 4, 2017

2. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Initial Start for Broadband
Programming
• April 14, 2015 – Presentation on Broadband for St
Croix EDC
• Explained what is broadband.
• Emphasized potential importance for economic
development
• Explained current situation in St. Croix County
• May 12, 2015 – EDC Created a Broadband
Committee for St Croix County
• Board create a broadband committee and elected
me as Chair
• Purpose is: to increase broadband access,
reliability, and speeds throughout St Croix County,
including consumer, commercial, agricultural and
organizational users, from a perspective of
economic development. The general idea is to
remove obstacles and match consumers with
providers.
• June 3, 2015 – Broadband Boot Camp in Eau
Claire

3. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Generating the knowledge
• Between July and December
2015, the Committee focused on
research concerning:
• Actual coverage maps
• Economic impacts
• Technical options
• Options for moving forward
• The first part of a two-part survey

4. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
A Two-Part
Survey
• October, 2015 – Administered a survey on
broadband access and use in St Croix
• Survey was designed to gather data to identify areas
conducive for a successful grant application
• To provide information in support of that application

5. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Spreading the word
• January – March, 2016, Informational
Presentation:
• Results of phase 1 survey;
• What is broadband;
• Potential economic impact; and,
• What local governments can do.
• Presented to:
• St. Croix Wisconsin Towns Association
• Community Development Department
• County Board
• St. Croix Summit

6. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
An Apple Pie Resolution

7. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
A growing movement
• In 2016, the EDC Board voted to
allow non-Board members to join
committees
• Concerned citizens are the most
active
• Became involved with Region III
Broadband Implementation
Group

8. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
A Two-Part Survey
• 22 question survey mailed out to 1,021 households
with a 34% response rate.
• Opportunity for respondents to volunteer to serve
on a citizen committee, which netted us 17 names.

9. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Building and supporting the case
• New presentation created, includes information on:
• Phase 2 survey results;
• Benefits to households;
• The economic realities for providing (and getting)
broadband; and,
• What local citizens can do
• Results to date
• One Board created an ad hoc committee
• One Board had a member join the EDC committee

10. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Building and supporting the case
Customers
per mile CAPEX
Monthly
Fee
Payback
in years
Monthly
Fee
Payback
in years
Monthly
Fee
Payback
in years
Monthly
Fee
Payback
in years
1 $36,200 $46 65.6 $75 40.2 $100 30.2 $125 24.1
3 $38,600 $46 23.3 $75 14.3 $100 10.7 $125 8.6
5 $41,000 $46 14.9 $75 9.1 $100 6.8 $125 5.5
10 $47,000 $46 8.5 $75 5.2 $100 3.9 $125 3.1
15 $53,000 $46 6.4 $75 3.9 $100 2.9 $125 2.4
20 $59,000 $46 5.3 $75 3.3 $100 2.5 $125 2.0
Assumptions: Acronyms:
OSP - Mainline with drops: $35K to $50K per mile CAPEX = Capital Expenditure
Electronic for the fiber ONT and C/O: $1,200 OSP = Outside plant
CAPEX total using $35,000 per mile ONT = Optical Network Terminal
C/O = Central Office

11. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Moving toward funding
• Town of Warren initiated their own
independent survey of residents
• They have compiled a map with a
significant areas with households in
need.
• There is a cooperating local provider
• Discussions are being organized to
bring the two sides together and
(hopefully) apply for a grant

12. 1. Create Urgency
2. Form a Coalition
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision
5. Empower Action
6. Create Quick Wins
7. Build on the Change
8. Make it Stick
Moving toward funding
• Mobilizing citizens
• Broadband Committee already
discussing next steps
• Help identified communities apply
for grants
• Inform additional communities
• Disband

13. THANKS!
Eric Biltonen, Ph.D.
CNRED Educator, St. Croix County