PROGRAM APPLICATION
BEST PRACTICES TO BE INCORPORATED
STRATEGIC APPROACH TO FOSTER COLLABORATION
Aggregation of Demand
- Prospective larger government and other institutional users are systematically identified as possible “anchor tenants” in order to project potential aggregated demand to attract investment in infrastructure.
- Identification of potential users is conducted by inter-disciplinary teams with support from public and private partners.
- Prospective aggregated demand is presented to private providers to encourage bidding providing services through a competitive process.
- A monitoring and evaluation process is established at the beginning of the program.
- Select a pilot region(s) with significant interest from prospective partners in order to prototype the approach in California.
- Initiate a focused planning phase to develop the program with partners (including all identification, interviewing and documentation procedures and forms). Determine implementation organization(s) and recruit and train personnel.
- Implement the planned program to identify prospective anchor tenants and subscribers.
- Assist region in presenting results to private providers.
Telemedicine
- Rural clinics and hospitals in a given medically- underserved region (including tribal lands) are identified as sites that could benefit from specialized diagnostic and treatment services offered by medical centers. This should include institutions in the region that will be key to the regional medical services system in the future.
- All elements of the program are developed: (a) identification of requisite broadband connections and equipment for specific telemedicine services; (b) development of service protocols; (c) training of personnel at both rural facilities and medical centers; (d) operation of network operations; and (e) management of the medical services.
- A business model is developed to generate revenue to ensure long-term sustainability.
- Work with key stakeholders to develop proposal for FCC, including identification of initial pilot region(s) for statewide network.
- Work with interested regions with adopted strategic plans, such as the San Joaquin Valley through the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, to plan and develop a regional telemedicine network and integrate with statewide network. This will include development of all program elements, including a sustainable business model, set forth under best practices.
- Facilitate optimal coordination and leverage between the FCC proposal and partnership region(s), including the San Joaquin Valley, to plan and implement telemedicine program.
Emergency Response and Homeland Security
- All public safety and emergency responders are connected through broadband to a robust fiber-optic network to ensure real-time video-conferencing and webcasting during emergencies, disasters and pandemics.
- Rural and remote communities are connected through broadband so that these areas can be used for population evacuations and surge capacity in emergency responses.
- Meet with all statewide public safety and emergency response agencies to identify plans and potential for broadband connections. Coordinate this effort with Broadband Task Force.
- Support the State in developing a plan for an emergency response broadband network connected to a fiber-optic backbone, including an assessment of the revenues that could be identified to support the network.
- Ensure that emergency response agencies are a key part of the “aggregation of demand” methodology in the pilot project and in similar efforts in other regions.
- If feasible, encourage state to invite competitive bids to a statewide broadband network for emergency response.