We are aware that some of you are very interested in either providing or assisting in the deployment of broadband in your more rural areas. Below is information on a Utilities Broadband Workshop that is being sponsored by Utilities Technology Council (UTC) that you may be interested in attending. The workshop will be held August 10-11 in Tampa and the details are in the email below. Registration and additional information can be found at http://utc.org/utilities-broadband-workshop/ . Sincerely, Michelle Hershel Director of Regulatory Affairs Florida Electric Cooperatives Assoc. 2916 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850)877-6166 ext.3 (850)656-5485 (fax) From: Brett Kilbourne [mailto:brett.kilbourne@utc.org] Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2017 6:53 AM To: Mike Bjorklund <mike@feca.com> Cc: Joy Ditto <joy.ditto@utc.org>; Karnel Thomas <karnel.thomas@utc.org> Subject: Utilities Broadband Workshop Dear Mr. Bjorklund: I am writing to invite you and the members of the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association to attend UTC's Utilities Broadband Workshop<http://utc.org/utilities-broadband-workshop/>, which will be held August 10-11, 2017 in Tampa, Florida at the Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina. The Utilities Broadband Workshop includes an educational program that covers a variety of key issues for utilities that are either offering broadband or considering doing so, and will feature experts from leading utilities, technology companies, attorneys, engineers, and tax advisors. It also will include networking opportunities and a reception with your peers and exhibits with technology providers. The Workshop program<http://utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/UBC-Program_FINAL_8.2.17.p df> will kick-off with a CEO roundtable session, discussing how their utilities decided to offer broadband and exploring some of the lessons learned from deploying broadband networks and offering broadband services to their communities. The CEO roundtable will discuss the key decision factors, the steps these utilities took to survey demand, how they approached their board members, and the methodology and technology that they used to deploy their networks and offer broadband services. The CEO roundtable will also discuss how consumers have responded and the benefits that broadband has brought to their communities. Finally, the CEO roundtable will describe how the deployment of broadband has brought benefits back to the utility in terms of better quality of service and reliability. The Workshop program<http://utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/UBC-Program_FINAL_8.2.17.p df> will then delve into the first of three key projects that UTC is spearheading: preparing utilities for the upcoming Connect America Fund Phase II (CAFII) reverse auction, which will award up to $198 million annually for 10 years to broadband service providers that commit to offer voice and broadband services to fixed locations in unserved high-cost areas. While there is a growing number of utilities that are offering broadband, they need access to this funding to be able to extend their networks into remote areas that lack access to robust, affordable and reliable broadband. Moreover, UTC and its utility members have been advocating at the FCC to adopt rules that would allow utilities a meaningful opportunity to compete at auction for access to federal funding and to support the deployment of broadband networks that are capable of providing high speeds and lower latency without monthly data caps. The FCC is expected to adopt a Public Notice<https://www.fcc.gov/document/connect-america-fund-phase-ii-auction> at its Open Commission Meeting today<https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2017/08/august-2017-open-commis sion-meeting> that will establish the process for the CAFII auction. The adoption of the Public Notice<https://www.fcc.gov/document/connect-america-fund-phase-ii-auction> is the latest milestone that UTC has helped achieve towards the goal of promoting access to funding for utility broadband at the FCC. At the Utilities Broadband Workshop, we will describe the CAFII auction process in detail, and discuss strategies to help utilities compete for funding. This is breaking news and important information that utilities need to know now so that they can position themselves to compete at auction in 2018. In addition to offering retail broadband to residential consumers, utilities have a real opportunity to leverage their broadband network to provide additional services and partner with companies along the way. So, the Workshop program<http://utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/UBC-Program_FINAL_8.2.17.p df> includes a session that explores this opportunity and will feature representatives from companies like Google, Crown Castle and PDV Wireless talking about potential partnerships, as well as representatives from JEA in Jacksonville talking about how they are successfully offering wholesale services using their fiber optic broadband networks. This session will explore how utilities could deploy wireless systems as an overlay to their fiber networks, thereby improving coverage and capacity into their service areas and also potentially supporting utility communications, as well as retail services. It will also describe how companies like Google have already partnered with utilities that are providing broadband, and how Google plans to work with other utilities going forward as part of its fiber strategy. Finally, it will include a presentation from JEA describing the business opportunity for utilities to lease capacity over dark fiber or lit fiber networks in order to support third party communications service providers. Utility broadband networks can also be used to support smart grid technologies, and the Workshop program<http://utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/UBC-Program_FINAL_8.2.17.p df> includes a session featuring a representative from Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) which recently announced<https://www.velco.com/news/velco-and-ibm-research-announce-the-cre ation-of-utopus-insights/> that it is partnering with IBM to create a new company called Utopus Insights that will strive to be a leading provider of the next generation of intelligent energy solutions. VELCO had already announced<https://www.velco.com/news/ibm-and-velco-to-build-next-generation- communication-network-for-vermont-energy-grid/> in 2012 that it had partnered with IBM to build an intelligent fiber optic and Carrier Ethernet communications and control network across the State of Vermont, which spans more than 1000 miles and connects transmission substations to Vermont's distribution utilities, delivering reliable electric service and the capabilities required for the state's future Smart Grid. Prior to that, VELCO was the project manager for a $69 million Recovery Act grant<https://www.velco.com/our-work/innovation> that was awarded in 2009 to support the $138 million eEnergy Vermont project. This project resulted in the deployment of smart meters to approximately 300,000 premises in the state (about 90% of customers), increased grid automation, consumer research into the effectiveness of different rate structures and customer-side, in-home devices, and expansion of the fiber optic backbone (not through ARRA funding) to leverage VELCO's 1000-mile fiber network for enhanced grid reliability and communication. So, this session will leverage VELCO's extensive experience and innovative solutions to provide insights into how utilities can use broadband to support smart grid. It will also discuss fiber-based products that are being developed to support utility smart grid technologies. One of the other key initiatives for UTC in the coming year is to increase education and provide outreach to utilities about broadband. The Workshop program<http://utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/UBC-Program_FINAL_8.2.17.p df> includes a session that will feature representatives from technology companies and from CoBank talking about the real world realities related to different broadband technologies and experiences with deployments in the field, as well as the benefits that broadband can bring to communities and to utilities. This session is designed to eliminate confusion that may exist among utilities from recent announcements about new broadband technologies, and will help answer utilities' questions about what to expect when they deploy broadband and begin to offer broadband services. This session will separate hype from reality and provide utilities with valuable and objective information about what broadband can deliver, how much it will cost and where utilities can get loans if they need it. On the second day of the Workshop, we will start early with a briefing on the importance of developing a business case prior to deploying fiber, and then we will launch into another session on the second key initiative for UTC, which is the development of regional networks. We see the development of regional networks as something that will help reduce costs for utilities that want to offer broadband and also as something that will increase the net present value of the network as a whole. Utility regional broadband networks are already taking shape in certain parts of the country. UTC wants to drive the growth of these networks by bringing the large generation and transmission utilities together with the distribution utilities to interconnect their fiber networks, which would not only help those utilities who are offering broadband already, but also those utilities who thought they couldn't afford to deploy broadband. There are also economies of scale that can be achieved by sharing equipment, such as head-ends and network operation centers. This session will provide examples of utilities that are banding together in their states to provide broadband. Then, the Workshop program will include a session to educate utilities about tax implications for offering broadband, including protecting the non-profit status of the electric cooperative. This will be an interactive strategic discussion with tax advisors who have worked with utilities on these matters. They will also discuss strategies around structuring the business as well. Finally, the Workshop program will wrap up with another interactive discussion led by the chair of the Utilities Broadband Council. This session will discuss next steps for the UBC and UTC in the coming year. I hope that you and your electric cooperative members can attend the Utilities Broadband Workshop<http://utc.org/utilities-broadband-workshop/> in Tampa. Please feel free to share this information with your members. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you in Tampa! All the best, Brett Brett Kilbourne | Vice President Policy and General Counsel UTILITIES TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL Direct: +1.202.833.6807 Email: brett.kilbourne@utc.org<mailto:brett.kilbourne@utc.org> | Web: www.utc.org<http://www.utc.org/> 1129 20th Street NW, Suite 350 | Washington, D.C. 20036 USA
