Turn to SNG for broadband planning with proven economic growth

Challenge: Is it worth it? Is the investment required going to yield significant benefits? Where will investments deliver the most economic growth for your community or region? How do you know what you need to ensure your community, its businesses and institutions, is not left behind in the new digital economy?

How we help: SNG can help you, just like we’ve helped numerous regional and local governments, economic development agencies, and chambers of commerce, uncover the key to successful broadband strategies.

Developing a community broadband network is actually building a platform for innovation that will create seen and unseen opportunities. Greater use of broadband and e-solutions increases productivity and competitiveness that translate into revenues, jobs, and local economic growth. SNG examines how local businesses, organizations, and households use broadband and e-solutions, measuring benefits, both economic and social.

There are many ways SNG can work with you to leverage the availability of broadband for economic and social development – turn to SNG for an action plan for increasing productivity, competitiveness and prosperity through your new platform for innovation. SNG’s survey-based solutions are used for many different assessment needs, including:

• e-Solutions Benchmarking (Broadband availability): A starting point, uncovering current broadband availability, to ensure that infrastructure is available to businesses, organizations, institutions and households.

• e-Solutions usage by industry: Identification of key industries or business segments to reveal below average e-solutions usage and where broadband is needed.

• e-Solutions gaps and opportunities: Information for targeted action and prioritization based on the current level of e-solution use.

• Barriers to e-solutions adoption: Increase adoption and achieve economic and civic benefits by first understanding impediments.

• e-Readiness: SNG walks your community through a self-guided assessment that provides a comprehensive view of the key factors for consideration in prepping for a successful rollout.

• Measuring the benefits from broadband: One you have rolled-out your network, measure the benefits of your platform for innovation. SNG gauges the direct benefits of broadband’s e-solutions as reported by organizations, including increased revenues, increased employment, and cost savings.

SNG’s expertise is demonstrated through its international work with clients on economic and social development initiatives that leverage broadband, including:

• Industry Canada's Community Access Program (CAP): gives thousands of Canadians affordable access to the Internet in places like schools, community centers and libraries. It provides access to those people who might not have computers or Internet access in their homes or workplaces. Visit the site

• India's Gyan Sanchar (meaning 'Communicating Knowledge'): is a pilot project designed to bring affordable and cost effective services to rural India, in 32 villages of Madhya Pradesh. Visit the site

• Miami-Dade County: conducted an independent self-assessment, to obtain an objective view of the current state of readiness for undertaking a broadband initiative in the Miami-Dade community. Read the report from the KnightCenter of Digital Excellence.