Monroe County Broadband Speakers Announced

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on December 2, 2016, No Comments

Broadband Rally Highlights Need and Next Steps

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, East Stroudsburg University, Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation, the Monroe 2030 Action Team, and the ESU Center for Research and Economic Development will hold a Broadband Rally in the ESU Innovation Center, Room 336 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the rally is to inform citizens, businesses and constituents of Monroe County of the efforts underway to provide high speed broadband to the county at an affordable cost.

The Rally will feature broadband and innovation industry leaders offering immediate solutions and strategies to maximize JOBS growth in Monroe County. “We are very pleased to announce the speakers for the Monroe County Broadband Rally,” stated Marcia G. Welsh, Ph. D., President of East Stroudsburg University, “This Rally is designed as a serious wake-up call for leaders in government, business and healthcare to see why $1000 Gigabit broadband is essential for companies and citizens, and what immediate steps need to be taken to position Monroe County to create JOBS in the new economy.”

Featured Broadband Rally speakers include:

  • John McElligott, President, The Fortress Initiative and CEO, The Fortress Academy and York Exponential
    • Embracing Disruption
  • John Dolmetsch, founder of Business Information Group, BIG Wireless, (One of Comcast’s leading Gigabit vendors)
    • $1000 Gigabit – It’s happening everywhere but Pennsylvania
  • Kevin Dellicker, Dellicker Strategies, (Their work last year helped 50+ schools improve academic achievement by 20%)
    • Why $1000 Gigabit Matters
  • Kelly Lewis, Lewis Strategic (recently led Pennsylvania Gigabit Revolution with 265 participating organizations, and Philadelphia Acceleration Summit)
    • The Monroe County $1000 Gigabit Acceleration Project

Many of the speakers recently participated in Philadelphia’s Acceleration Summit. Led by Kevin Dellicker, Dellicker Strategies has led 64 telecom infrastructure projects worth $195 million and 110 personalized learning implementations. In 2015, the New Jersey Digital Readiness for Learning & Assessment Project – Broadband Component (NJ DRLAP-Broadband) reduced the price of Internet access by 74 percent for 200 participating school organizations across New Jersey, increasing their Internet bandwidth 2.2 times while saving them $109 million.

Led by Kelly Lewis, TechQuest Broadband was the name for a series of telecommunications-related projects executed across Pennsylvania in the late 2000s designed to improve broadband adoption through demand aggregation. The idea was simple; groups of like-minded organizations purchasing large amounts of broadband together almost always receive a better deal than individual organizations buying small amounts alone. Through a series of competitive procurements conducted after extensive education and outreach, TechQuest Broadband achieved significant results across an array of industries. When the procurements were finished, TechQuest Broadband improved broadband services for 58 schools and libraries, 14 coal mines, 13 manufacturing sites, seven colleges, four hospitals, and one insurance firm. And, the program helped these organizations conduct critical workforce development training to accelerate the benefits.

Broadband Rally greetings and introductions will be provided by:

  • Marcia G. Welsh, D., President, East Stroudsburg University
  • Mario Scavello, Senator, Pennsylvania State Senate, 40th Senatorial District
  • Chuck Leonard, Executive Director, Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation

TV, video and radio contacts: Elizabeth Richardson, ESU, at 570-422-3139, and/or Rebecca Kann at 717.975.7430. The public is encouraged to attend with advance registration  http://bit.ly/2gENDXy. A continental breakfast will be served. For general information, call Stacey Grant at 570-422-7920.