Alpine to benefit from Web grant

Alpine County is expected to benefit from a $250,000 grant from the California Emerging Technology Fund to help five rural Sierra counties improve high speed Internet access for households and businesses.

The one-year project was kicked off with a community forum in Sonora on Wednesday

The Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency Central Sierra Connect, involves Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties.

It is part of a statewide effort to help rural counties gain 100 percent coverage for high-speed Internet and encourage wider use of technology by all residents. The fund, created as part of private telecommunication company mergers, is charged with helping rural areas "catch up" to urban areas of the state.

"Ultimately, we all want high-speed Internet to be as universal as telephone service and is easy to use for all residents including low-income, senior and disabled people," said Project Coordinator Michelle Shelton.

Over the next 12 months, the group will:

n Map current high-speed Internet coverage and detail the region's telecommunication "backbone," identify gaps and recommend a variety of projects that will help each county reach 100 percent coverage. Currently, project leaders estimate about 45 percent of households in the region have access to high speed Internet, and many areas have only high-priced options available.

n Survey residents to identify interest and demand for high tech services, and use results to market and call for bids for the most promising projects and services.

n Recommend public policies for each county to help reach 100 percent coverage.

n Identify ways to increase access to technology for disabled, low income and senior residents, and increase their use of Internet services in the region. An action plan will outline a variety of projects including adding more Neighborhood Information Centers at libraries and other public sites, expanding telemedicine and improving the region's Web sites for online "information and referral" services.

Shelton coordinated the Central Sierra Connect proposal, and will serve as project director. She worked with a set of committees with more than 50 representatives from all five counties to develop the proposal and work plan.

"The process so far has been so smooth," Shelton said. "All of the partners are motivated to get this groundwork done, and timing is critical because follow-up funding is coming to help us actually put plans into action. Our group also has a huge head start, since many of the surveys and mapping tools developed for Redwood Coast Connect project will work for us. We'll make some minor adjustments to fit our communities, and can move right into action."