MOBILE, Ala. — Representatives from the Connecting Alabama Initiative, a part of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, held its second meeting with residents and government officials in Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia counties on Friday.

Connecting Alabama was launched in 2008 to promote the adoption of broadband Internet access across the entire state. The initiative’s main goals are to determine where service is available, where it is not available and why there are areas without access, and to work with local leaders to develop a “vision for a broadband Alabama.”

“This is the second and not necessarily the final planning meeting for this region but we are trying to get down to the nuts and bolts of the plan. What assets you currently have and what projects you think we should bring in that is going to help expand broadband,” Jessica Dent, director of the Alabama Broadband Initiative, said.

Dent said the broadband initiative is so important because the world is vastly becoming more and more connected and some areas of Alabama are falling behind.

“We know from the research we have done so far that infrastructure is an issue. The vast percentage of the population is not computer literate. When we look at access in our rural areas, connectivity is very low. We are beyond that. We are a fast-paced society now and we want information like that. Being a rural resident all my life, I am tired of rural areas being last. We can’t compete economically; we can’t compete educationally because we don’t ever have the infrastructure we need. We have to change that now,” Dent said.

Part of the issue, Dent said, is that providers have not seen enough demand from rural areas in Alabama.

“We have got to build demand. It is basic supply and demand. We have got to get these rural residents to tell the companies they want connectivity. We don’t want yesterday’s leftovers. We want the technology that is going to carry us into the 21st century,” Dent said.

During the meeting, municipal representatives, representatives for service providers and other concerned organizations discussed the assets the region already has and chose projects the area could benefit from.

Some of the assets discussed for this region included public libraries, employment centers, schools, hotspots and volunteer organizations that would be willing to step up and assist residents learn about computers.

“You have to ask these questions about the projects: Is it doable, is it effective, is it fundable, is it measurable,” Dent said.

Top projects selected at the meeting will be included in a plan Connecting Alabama will release by September and begin implementing with local assistance by October.

The top projects selected for Region 8, which includes Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia counties, were:

• A project to recycle old computers. This plan will refurbish and redistribute old computers to individuals who were not able to afford their own computers. Local schools will assist in refurbishing the computers, which will help students get hands-on experience in the field as well as provide people with the means to connect to the Internet.
• A time-saving and economical project is based on an initiative Bay Minette has implemented. The city installed video cameras and wireless connectivity in all police cars and city vehicles. Officers can teleconference with judges instead of traveling to the courthouse, which reportedly has saved the city money. This initiative will be included in a larger-scale project to boost the productivity and accountability of government in the area, which could include digital records and teleconference hearings.
• An educational module for different groups of people, including senior citizens and immigrant populations, to familiarize them with the Internet’s benefits. Volunteers who were trained by Connecting Alabama at the local level would teach these classes at public libraries.
• The final project, deemed a priority for this region, was an initiative for community leaders to meet with providers to discuss the needs of this area and how providers can meet the needs.

The projects discussed at the meeting are expected to be implemented beginning in October.

For more information about Connecting Alabama, see connectingalabama.gov. You can check your connectivity speed, which will help the initiative map the connectivity availability of the state.