Yountville LATA Grant
Project Completion Report Summaries
Detailed Summary of the Completed Work Product
One work product was developed by CBG Communications, Inc. (CBG) and the Town of Yountville (Town) for the Town's LATA Grant Project. This work product included an Engineering Feasibility Study, designed to ensure that broadband infrastructure and services, scalable to symmetrical 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download/upload speeds, were available throughout the Town. A review of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Broadband Map and a walk-out of the infrastructure throughout the Town determined that wireline broadband service was available at the current broadband standard of a minimum of 100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload to all residents and businesses within the Town. This broadband service is planned to be increased to above the requirement of symmetrical 100 Mbps download/upload by 2026.
The Study then shifted to look at providing no cost to the public, wireless symmetrical 100 Mbps download/upload throughout the Town Center, in the largest, most utilized public parks and along the Washington Street business corridor. A design was completed, including wireless broadband access points (APs), high-capacity wireless backhaul, fiber optic interconnects and access to up to a 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) fiber optic-based, Internet access backhaul network. The cost for construction, activation and operation of the network was estimated, and a schedule was projected to implement the network in three phases.
The second part of the LATA Grant Project work product was a Partnership Development Opportunity review and analysis. This part of the Project reviewed a variety of private and public partners that could work with the Town to implement no cost to the public access to high-capacity wireless broadband services in a cost- effective manner. After review, it was determined that working with the Napa County Library (Library), which already was developing a high-capacity wireless broadband coverage project for its Yountville branch, was the most viable way to proceed. The partnership analysis and review detailed the type of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that could be developed to establish a partnership between the Town and the Library, and described initial roles and responsibilities of each potential partner. The analysis and review further supported a recommendation that both parties proceed to develop such an MOU, identify grant or other support funding that could be utilized, and proceed with the implementation of Phase 1 (the Town Center high-capacity, public access broadband network) deployment.
Demonstration that the Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Project Will Help Promote Economic Growth, Job Creation and the Social Benefits of Advanced Information and Communications Technologies
The Town's Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Project, as conceived and designed by the technical assistance work performed as part of the LATA Grant Project, will provide high-capacity, no cost to the public, broadband Internet access in key areas of the Town where it will augment existing capacity or where such high-capacity Internet access currently does not exist. The services enabled by the infrastructure deployed will provide substantial benefits to Town residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Specifically, they will:
• Promote economic growth -- The high-capacity wireless Internet access network will be deployed along the key Washington Street business corridor, providing portable broadband access in and outside of business premises, so that the whole business corridor is covered and facilitates access to whatever online services are needed.
Additionally, in the Town Center campus and in parks where major events and gatherings occur in the Town throughout the year, visitors, vendors, and residents will now be able to obtain the high-capacity broadband access that they need while purchasing products and services, or while simply enjoying the entertainment and events.
• Job creation -- By blanketing areas of the Town that do not have the same wireline access as residential and business locations, with high-capacity symmetrical upload and download access to the Internet, the infrastructure deployed will substantially improve "work from anywhere" capabilities. Also, through a partnership with the Library, critical digital skills and other workforce development training and education will be enabled at community facilities throughout the Town Center campus. Additionally, those that need high-capacity access for their jobs or for skills training and education to acquire jobs, but do not have such access now because of affordability, will benefit from the no cost to the public access to the system deployed.
• Substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies -- A critical element of providing a true social benefit is to make sure that it is available affordably to all. The infrastructure and services contemplated by the Town's Project will do just that by providing access at multiple public locations and sites and along heavily trafficked corridors. This will reduce disparities in the ability to access and utilize myriad online services.
Knowing that the Town has substantial wireline availability to residential and business locations, but the actual level of access will be based on affordability, the system contemplated provides an immensely affordable option. It also expands the reach of advanced information and communication technologies into 2 areas that don't have wireline access, such that the Town is creating a broadband "access anywhere" environment and helping facilitate its use.
Short Summary of the Completed Work Product
The Town of Yountville (Town) LATA Grant Project work product included an Engineering Feasibility Study conducted by CBG Communications, Inc. (CBG) and the Town. The Study reviewed and verified available broadband service in the Town and designed a variety of concepts to leverage available broadband infrastructure and assets, as well as leverage new broadband infrastructure and other assets, to provide public access to broadband in the Town Center campus area, four of the largest public parks in Yountville and along the often-visited Washington Street retail, restaurant and hospitality business corridor. his public access broadband network was designed, such that it can be built in three complementary phases, or all at once. It would provide a minimum of symmetrical 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download/upload wireless broadband service at no cost to the public in these locations.
A second portion of the technical assistance work performed by CBG and the Town was a Partnership Development Opportunity review and analysis. It was designed to review and analyze potential partners that could be developed to work with the Town to implement the public access broadband network. Discussions were held with, and research was performed related to, potential private and public partners. Ultimately, it was determined that the Napa County Library (Library) was the most viable partner for the Town to work with to implement the public access broadband network. The LATA Grant Project recommended establishment of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Library, including establishing roles and responsibilities of both the Town and the Library. The Library has already indicated that it can provide up to symmetrical 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) upload/download Internet access backhaul for the system and can operate the application that provides public access, all at no cost to the Town. The Project recommends that both the Town and the Library look for additional resources to implement at least Phase 1 (broadband coverage of the Town Center campus) for near-term deployment.
Identification of the Geographic Areas Where the Awardee Intends to Deploy Broadband Infrastructure and Services
The Town of Yountville (Town), based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the LATA Grant Project's Engineering Feasibility Study and Partnership Development Opportunity Report, intends to deploy broadband infrastructure to provide no-cost to the public access to symmetrical 100 Mbps download/upload wireless broadband service in three phases. Phase 1 is the Town Center area extending from the Library/Community Center, past the Community Hall to the Town Hall and throughout the old school property recently assumed by the Town.
The old school property is anticipated to be turned into an events center, affordable housing and additional open space. Phase 2 would extend the broadband infrastructure and related no-cost to the public access, high-capacity broadband service, to four parks in the City - Forrester, Veterans, Vineyard and Yountville Parks. Phase 3 would then deploy the no-cost to the public access broadband service along the often-visited Washington Street retail, restaurant and hospitality business corridor.
The above areas for broadband infrastructure deployment are those areas where people most often meet, gather, shop, engage in recreation and do business in Yountville. As such, these three phases of no-cost to the public access to high-capacity broadband services, will help "blanket" the Town with broadband coverage for residential, business and portable access.