BELP RTA & ALTIUS Announce Completion of Phase 2 of Wireless Broadband Project

On 04.24.12, In BELP Update, Lee County, By admin

April 24, 2012—The Breathitt, Estill, Lee and Powell Regional Technology Authority (RTA) and ALTIUS Broadband are excited to announce the completion of stage two (Lee County) of our four stage BELP build outs.

The deployment of the fixed wireless microwave network was completed in Lee County with the successful build out of the WLJC, Stacey Hogan, Youth Haven, Southside and KY 498 water towers. The third stage of the project is scheduled for the Powell County area, then finishing with Breathitt County.

René True, Executive Director of ConnectKentucky stated, “Steady progress is underway with the completion of Phase 2 of the four county broadband network known as BELP. With the final installation of network broadband equipment in Lee County by broadband provider ALTIUS Broadband, hundreds of Lee County homes can now take advantage of the life changing benefits offered through broadband access.”

“We are very pleased to see this project completed. Many of our residents are looking forward to using this service,” stated Steve Mays, County Judge Executive.

Brandon Fizer, the General Manager of ALTIUS Broadband, added “I am proud to announce that Altius Broadband has completed the build out of Lee County. After several months of planning and deploying our equipment to significant tower sites we are ready to fulfill the need for broadband to the many awaiting citizens of Lee County.”

Altius Broadband greatly appreciates the patience citizens of these counties have had during the process of the build out and looks forward to serving this great community by bringing broadband to those who have done without for years.

 

 
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BELP RTA and Altius Announce Completion of Phase I

On 01.31.12, In BELP Update, Broadband Expansion, Estill County, By admin

BELP RTA & ALTIUS   Announce Completion of Phase I of
Wireless Broadband Project

Estill County becomes first  to benefit from network build

January 31, 2012—The Breathitt, Estill, Lee and Powell Regional Technology Authority (RTA) and ALTIUS Broadband is excited to announce the completion of stage one (Estill County) of our four stage BELP build outs.

The deployment of the fixed wireless microwave network was completed in Estill County with the successful build out of the Wiseman, Ravenna, Sandhill, Racetrack and Redbud water towers.  The second stage of the project is scheduled for the Lee County area followed by Powell County then finishing with Breathitt County.  ALTIUS will be utilizing the former Emergency Management Center in Irvine, KY as their new Network Operations Center for this project.

René True, Executive Director of ConnectKentucky, the not-for-profit organization responsible for conceiving the broadband project, designing the wireless network and serving as legal and technical advisor to the RTA stated, ”ConnectKentucky is extremely pleased with the completion of Phase 1 of the BELP project. Finally, disconnected families in rural Estill County can begin to explore the life changing benefits that flow from having broadband access. We look forward to working with ALTIUS and the RTA as the project moves on to Lee County.”

Brandon Fizer, the General Manager of ALTIUS Broadband added “I am excited to have phase I of the BELP project complete. This should be a great benefit to those customers who are without high speed internet.  We hope to be able to expand more through Estill County as more tower sites become available to us and we look forward to getting started on Phase II, Lee County. “ 

I was tired of not having a high speed internet connection.  I called the phone company multiple times and couldn’t get anywhere.  With our new Altius wireless internet, I never have to worry about missing that important email or getting important work done.  And the speed is so much faster than before!

David Giles
Irvine, KY

 

About ALTIUS:

Headquartered in Phoenix Maryland, ALTIUS Communications is a leading supplier and integrator to the rapidly growing Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) Market. ALTIUS maintains a national and international presence through a network of customers and integrators from around the world. ALTIUS has partnered with the best of breed manufacturers in the BWA space to enable the successful pursuit of long term customer satisfaction in support of service provider, government, and enterprise initiatives. ALTIUS serves public and private sector clients with Wireless Technology solutions and onsite professionals for the three main disciplines of broadband wireless; Last Mile Connectivity, Back Haul and Mesh Networks.

http://www.altiusbroadband.com

http://www.altiuscomm.com

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Contract for Four-County Broadband Service Network Now Signed

On 09.13.11, In BELP Update, Broadband Expansion, By admin
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Construction Contract Has Been Signed Between Altius Broadband, LLC and the Breathitt,
Estill, Lee, and Powell (BELP) Regional Technology Authority to Expand
Broadband Service in the Four County Region

Frankfort, KY—The Breathitt, Estill, Lee, and Powell Regional Technology Authority (RTA) and Altius Broadband have signed a contract  to begin construction on a broadband service network in four Eastern Kentucky counties.

“The RTA is proud to partner with Altius Broadband to bring broadband service to the rural residents of Breathitt, Estill, Lee, and Powell counties,” said Joe Crawford, RTA chairman.
“Having a signed construction contract is a significant step for the project, but not one the RTA Board takes lightly in our quest to get the best broadband service possible with the limited funds available.”

This broadband expansion project, “Coal to Broadband: Making the Transition, Making the Connection,” began in November 2009. In Spring 2010, the RTA and Connect Kentucky, as a technical advisor, solicited request for proposals to help build out a broadband network in the rural areas of Breathitt, Estill, Lee, and Powell counties.

After a review of the work plans and contract terms discussions, the RTA signed an agreement with Altius for the construction of the broadband network on September 9. This contract
will allow the construction phase of the project to begin. Preliminary work, like securing access to water tank and tower locations for equipment installation, and contracting for an Internet backhaul connection has already begun.

“The BELP project will be an important deployment of a fixed wireless microwave network in this country,” said Jim Connor, president of Altius Broadband, LLC. “Our partnership with BELP and ConnectKentucky will serve as a model for communities throughout the United States on expanding broadband services in some of the most remote areas to ensure their connectivity and bridge the digital divide.”

“ConnectKentucky is excited that the construction phase of the ConnectBELP project can begin,” said Rene True, executive director of ConnectKentucky. “The citizens of the four counties have been more than patient as we worked out the details of the project leading up to the construction phase. The RTA volunteer board is to be commended for making an extra effort to contract with the broadband provider that can deliver the best broadband network within the project budget.”

To learn more about the project, visit www.connectbelp.org.

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Related Links:

Altius Broadband: http://altiusbroadband.com/

Press Release: Governor Beshear Announces Grant to Provide Broadband Access to Eastern Kentucky Region (11/03/09)

Press Release: RFP Seeks Plans from All Types of Providers in Order to Bring Broadband Service to Breathitt, Estill, Lee and Powell Counties (03/08/10)

 

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BELP Project Update

On 09.01.10, In BELP Update, Technology Survey and Awareness, By admin

Greetings! It has been awhile since the last update, but the Regional Technology Authority (RTA) and ConnectKentucky have been busy negotiating with potential broadband contractors selected through the request for proposal (RFP) process.  The most important goal of contract negotiations is to select a vendor who can meet the broadband coverage areas, download specifications and all other requirements that are outlined in the RFP. 

Because the RTA strives to ensure the feasibility of each bidder’s work plan prior to executing a contract, negotiations are taking much longer than originally anticipated. Work plans submitted by vendors must adhere to the strict testing requirements recommended by ConnectKentucky and adopted by the RTA. The RTA understands they have only one bite at the apple, thus they want to utilize the state and federal funds provided for the project in the most efficient way possible.  .

In other developments, Windstream Communications received notice of a federal broadband stimulus grant for numerous unserved and underserved areas of Kentucky. Windstream’s federal grant covers parts of Estill, Lee and Powell counties. Once the Windstream coverage areas are fully determined, we may be able to stretch the ConnectBELP project dollars further than originally anticipated.

In addition, check the ConnectBELP website to view information on the household technology survey conducted earlier this year. A summary of the survey results are posted on the website.

Thank you for your patience as the RTA and ConnectKentucky work together to bring broadband to rural Breathitt, Estill, Lee, and Powell counties.

 
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