On the Road to a Gigabit Broadband: Are we there yet? A Self-Assessment Guide for Communities

Developed by: CENIC, Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, and CALIFA, consortium of California Libraries
Type of resource: PDF
Target audience: General
Cost: Free access

This guide allows communities to assess their level of current access and readiness for broadband, and helps envision what a fully connected community might mean for shared decision-making and community-building in the future. The tool first helps assess network infrastructure and then examines each community sector one-by-one, such as schools, libraries, government offices, hospitals and clinics, or community-based organisations. The highlight of the guide are its "Stages", established for each sector, which provide benchmarks in a variety of aspects: which places might be networked, what types of services and applications might a particular sector provide given a higher level of connectivity, their leadership role. The tool can be used in small presentations or for a townhall strategizing session, and includes tips for a community access workshop.

http://www.cenic.org/guide/pdfs/guide.pdf