Use & Adoption of Broadband, Potter County, PA

Increasing use and adoption of information technology 

• Volunteers can make a difference
• Every community can improve use of technology
• Celebrate every success

Potter County, Pennsylvania encompasses 1092 square miles and about 50% of the land is state owned with State Parks, State Game Lands, State Forrest Trails and Fish Commission Land.

The county is made up of small "pods" of population separated by state land and rough terrain. It is said there are more deer and bears than people in Potter County.

The Potter County Community Network project is designed to increase the diffusion and adoption of information technology in Potter County. The project is led by volunteers representing K-12 education, higher education, business and government.

In 1998, project partners led by the Potter County Education Council began providing computer classes, mostly basic classes focusing on the Microsoft Office suite of programs. In the past 3 or 4 years more advanced classes have been offered including the A+ programming language. Project partners are working with local school districts to make the training available across the county. Since the program began, 400-500 classes have been offered and more than 3,000 people have participated. They recently added McKean County to the programs.

A MTAP (Municipal Technical Assistance Program) grant helped to fund Microsoft Office training for about 50% of municipal employees. Potter County has surpassed 5 other surrounding counties in the number of employees who have had computer training.

Courses teaching FrontPage have also been important to help local businesses understand the importance web sites have for online visibility. Open hours in schools have made it possible for residents who do not have a computer or an internet connection to go online.

One of the outcomes of the project is increased awareness of information technology and broadband among local government, business and community members. The business community is 95% mom and pop establishments and currently almost all of them see the importance of web presence and how essential high-speed networks are to compete in today's marketplace.

This project has been successful because everyone involved understood the importance of increasing the adoption and use of information technology and shared a sense of urgency about bringing the county up to speed. Any time wasted in making broadband available was only going to hurt community members in the long run. It was the need and urgency that made everyone involved understand the need to work together to get anything done.

It is important for everyone involved to leave egos and negativity at the door. The leadership team needs to collaborate and focus on working with those who understand the goals. Don't waste time or energy on naysayers, they will eventually join.

Rural areas shouldn't wait for help to come to them. They need to reach out for help. Towns that don't have strong local leadership acting as a champion to encourage the adoption of information technology and broadband do not provide an incentive for investment and will be left behind. It is also important for the leadership team to have fun and celebrate successes.

For More Information:
http://www.pottercountyedcouncil.org/

Contact: Helene Nawrocki, Executive Director, Potter County Education Council
Email: helene@pottercountyedcouncil.org