The LinkIDAHO Initiative

Welcome to the LinkIDAHO website. Here you’ll find important news and resources related to our mapping and planning efforts.

Feel free to visit our site often for the latest in broadband-related news and resources.

Funding for LinkIDAHO

Latest News

• The LinkIDAHO team needs your help!

  The State of Idaho’s broadband team, LinkIDAHO, has launched a community app to collect and analyze mobile broadband performance.

  Because emergency services, police, fire and other local services depend on mobile wireless networks, analysis is critical to understanding problem areas for each network. As a result, we hope to keep our government and communities connected, at a lower cost, and expand the reach of broadband across the community.

  LinkIDAHO hopes you will join the effort by simply downloading the free, network testing app on your phone to ensure your neighborhood is tested. The more we can learn about problematic network areas, the better we are able to address them. All information collected by the testing app is anonymous. LinkIDAHO is partnering with Mobile Pulse to power the app and ensure the privacy of all users.

  Read more about the LinkIDAHO mobile app, how it helps state planners and how it can help you.

• On May 8, 2013, LinkIDAHO partnered with ICF International and Idaho AHEC to present a webinar on Funding and Sustaining Telehealth Networks in Idaho.

  View the recorded webinar, view the presentation slides or read the transcript.

• The State Broadband Initiative (SBI) Cost Model was released on March 20, 2013. The Cost Model assesses existing coverage, determines population densities, estimates likely demand and estimates relevant network costs to enhance broadband coverage in unserved areas.

  Network cost estimates are developed separately for wireline and for wireless service gaps. The Model is focused on a fundamental policy level issue: what are the core costs to enable the provisioning of broadband to Idaho's most chronically unserved populations by one of two options: wireline or wireless.

  Access the Cost Model documents,* including an overview of the Cost Model (just the basics); Excel spreadsheets displaying the comprehensive raw data; and the complete, region-level, and county-level results reflected in graphs and charts.

  *Note: After accessing the Analytics Page through the above underlined link, simply click on the sub-heading entitled 'Broadband Availability' and scroll down to the 'Cost Model' section.

• A recording of the LinkIDAHO webinar on FirstNet, a federally-funded nationwide public safety broadband network, is now available for viewing. The webinar, presented on February 14, 2013, also covered options for deployment, associated challenges and a discussion of how to develop a FirstNet vision and strategy for the State of Idaho.

  Presentation slides and a printed transcript of the webinar dialogue are also available for download.

• Are you curious about where broadband exists in Idaho, who is using broadband across the state and the role broadband can play in improving our quality of life?

  Visit our new Analytics page--a ‘one-stop-shop’ for summaries and access to the myriad of tools, data and research that have been developed by LinkIDAHO and other programs.

Funding for LinkIDAHO

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 made funding possible for broadband projects, including mapping and planning, infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable adoption programs. States' broadband mapping and planning projects are made possible through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) State Broadband Data and Development (SBDD) grant program.

In Nov. 2009, Idaho received an approximately $1.8 million grant to fund the State's SBDD project years 1-2. An additional $2.6 million grant was awarded in Sept. 2010 to fund project years 3-5.

This project will serve as a catalyst for increased access to and use of broadband to better serve our citizens. With ubiquitous broadband, we can realize improved economic development, access to education and health care, enhanced public safety, improved government efficiencies, increased tourism, greater access to telework opportunities and more.

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Why LinkIDAHO?

Through initial research, we understand there are many reasons Idahoans do not use broadband. Perhaps the most commonly cited barrier is access: broadband must be available in order to adopt it. Where broadband is available, barriers to adopting it include high subscription costs, lack of broadband-ready devices, low awareness of broadband uses and concerns about privacy and security on the Internet. Through community collaboration and regional planning, this project will address these issues and many more.

In order to address expansion of this technology, we must first have a clear picture of where broadband currently exists in the state, and thus where our gaps in coverage are. Following a thorough assessment and inventory of key Idaho assets, we have developed an online, interactive tool revealing our broadband footprint. A beta version of this tool, available on this site in August 2010, will display detailed maps of broadband coverage in both rural and urban areas throughout the state. Ultimately, these maps will provide consumers with links to individual broadband providers in their area.

While consumers may use this content to identify and order broadband services, it is equally important for policymakers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Policymakers can identify and address barriers to expansion. ISPs can identify gaps in coverage and an estimated cost to fill them.

To this point, we have been unable to accurately articulate the levels of current and future demand for broadband services for Idaho businesses, households and community anchor institutions. By collecting and analyzing market data, we will be able to profile county-specific broadband service demands and complete a geographic analysis of that demand relative to available infrastructure.

Another challenge LinkIDAHO will address is the absence of coordinated regional leadership to plan and implement local sustainable adoption. Later this year, we will facilitate regional technology planning teams to develop effective, local strategies and regional broadband plans.

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Our Role in Addressing Broadband Challenges and Solutions

LinkIDAHO is not intended to replace or compete with other broadband efforts in our state, but rather to identify and work with new and existing projects that share our goal. Through collaboration, we can finally realize greater access to and use of broadband technologies to improve business opportunities and the quality of life for all Idahoans.