LAKEPORT, Calif. – An important workshop will be held this Friday, and the county of Lake would like to remind and encourage all residents, businesses, schools, tribes, first responders, schools, colleges and medical facilities to attend.

Presenting an overview on the status of high-speed broad band in Lake County, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and the Center for Economic Development at California State University, Chico (CED), will present a workshop on Friday, Oct. 15, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes Street, Lakeport in the Board of Supervisors Chambers.

CETF funded several consortia of Counties to aggregate the demand for broadband in rural California through public/private partnerships.

The five-county regional project that includes Lake, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba Counties, named Upstate California Connect, is one of seven rural, multi-county regions that are working toward the goal of ubiquitous high-speed broadband throughout California.

In the fall of 2008, Upstate California Connect partnered with CED which administered a survey and completed a broadband availability mapping project across our region.

Having high-speed broadband available everywhere in our communities is critical in education, business, health, government, public safety, emergency response, leisure and much more.

The workshop will be facilitated by Sunne Wright McPeak, president and chief executive officer of CETF.

McPeak will speak to the importance of “getting connected” for economic prosperity and quality of life, as well as give an overview of funding opportunities that are on the horizon. If you have not had the chance to hear her speak in person, this is a wonderful opportunity.

Cathy Emerson, project manager at CED, and Jason Schwenkler, director of the Geographical Information Center at CSUC, will present the demand survey and aggregation results, where broadband infrastructure is and where there are gaps with regional and county-level data, as well as alternative scenarios for the future.

A regional action plan that will include brainstorming and prioritization will be discussed, with key opportunities for members of Upstate California Connect, as well as determining next steps for our communities.

Please plan on attending this important meeting. Although not required, RSVPs are appreciated. Please RSVP to Gladys Palpallatoc, associate vice president for CETF at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information on CETF, visit www.cetfund.org; for more information on CED, visit www.cedcal.com.

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