FIBERBAND COMMUNITY MEETING May 12, 2011 Long Prairie/Grey Eagle High School
Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Presentation from U-Reka Broadband • Presentation from Arvig Communications Systems • Presentation from Mark Erickson, City of Winthrop, City Administrator • Panel Discussion • Thank you to sponsors, volunteers • Prize Drawing
Welcome Chad Becker, Chairman, Todd County Development Corporation
Introduction to U-reka Broadband • The County’s relationship with U-reka – U-reka will facilitate discussions with potential private partners – U-reka will be here tonight to help field questions – U-reka will help write an application for grant funds. – U-reka will be the County’s contractor and agent for completion of the feasability study • ***note- all subject to county board approval on May 17
U-reka Broadband Capabilities and Philosophy Todd County
U-reka Overview • Headquartered in Stillwater, MN with nationwide project reach • Provides strategic planning, engineering, project management and construction management services for Service Providers, Municipalities, Tribal Governments and Private Businesses • U-reka partners with strategic partners to keep overheads low and to allow us to scale to the requirements of our customers
Principals • John Schultz – Over 25 years of industry experience including planning, engineering and implementation of ILEC, CLEC and Municipally-owned utilities – Provides overall strategic management planning and project implementation • Brian Estrem – Over 25 years of industry experience including technology and telecommunications management with responsibility for projects in the $100’s of millions – Provides overall program and implementation of projects including construction and project management services
Stimulus Success • U-reka and its associates wrote over $200 million in both BIP and BTOP applications. • Successful Stimulus Projects include: – Southwest Minnesota Broadband Group $13 million FTTP project – Farmer’s Mutual Telephone and Lac qui Parle County, MN $10 million FTTP project – Baldwin Telecom and Town of Troy, WI $10 million FTTP project – Northern Tribal Alliance, MN $1.7 million computer center project – Provided Environmental Study assistance to TDS (six successfully funded projects)
What makes us different? • Different than other consultants who work in the municipal space we believe that Telco’s can effective partners • We have extensive operational expertise that allows us to be an independent third-party to negotiations • We have developed a relationship with Blandin Foundation that assists in facilitating feasibility studies for these projects • We are much more interested in deploying projects, not just writing a study
Arvig Communication Systems (ACS) • Corporate Office - Perham, MN – Est. 1950 – ESOP • 26 companies serving 62 communities. • 58,000 access lines and 45,000 High Speed Internet and Video accounts. • 450 employees. • Capital Investment for 2011 is 25M
Arvig Communications Systems (ACS)
Introduction to ACS • Todd County’s relationship with ACS – – ACS will participate financially and provide support through the feasibility study portion of the project
ACS - Service Provider • LECs, CLECs, ISP, Answering Service, Directory, Security, Phone Systems, Construction • Deliver Fiber Transport, Wireless Backhaul, and Ethernet Services • Voice, High Speed Internet and Video • Platforms – High Speed Internet – DSL – FTTH – Docsis 3.0, cable modem – Wi-Fi and WiMax – Ethernet
Engagement/Study-Todd County • If there was a business model that worked it would be done. – Numbers stopped working. • Want to participate and we’re ready to evaluate Public/Private Partnerships. • Want to get the numbers to analyze and to create possible next steps. • Be ready when/if more stimulus funding is released. • Positioned for change in USF via NBP
Mark Birkholz Business Manager arvig.com mark.birkholz@arvig.com 218 346-8868
Panel Discussion • Jim Lunemann, Member of Livestock Advisory Committee • Chad Becker, Chair of TCDC • Mark Erickson, City of Winthrop City Administrator • Mark Birkholz, ACS • John Schultz, U-reka Broadband
Thank You! • Initiative Foundation • Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative • Minnesota National Bank • American Heritage National Bank • Long Prairie Chamber of Commerce • Central Minnesota Credit Union
Thank you! • Todd County Development Corporation • Rick Utech • Andrew Brown • John Simon • Lyle Danielson • Joel Anderson • Others….
Please take petition forms on your way out!
Prize Drawing
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