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CenterFuse Broadband Feasibility Report RECOMMENDATIONS Following is a list of ideas about how CenterFuse might be able to play a role in improving broadband reliability, quality and security in the greater Ellensburg community. Before discussing individual recommendations, it is important to discuss what advocacy might mean for CenterFuse. As the Ellensburg Business Development Authority(EBDA), CenterFuse has a wide range of latitude in responding to the following recommendations. Advocacy could mean something as simple as trying to persuade ISPs or the city to change practices which would improve broadband. For example, CenterFuse could lobby the ISPs to improve networks and provide better broadband and could be successful in bringing about needed improvements. But as the EBDA, CenterFuse could do a lot more. As an example, the first suggestion just below is to push to get fiber to all businesses. There are a number of ways this could be made to happen, such as the following: • Encourage Consolidated, Charter, and City Fiber to build more fiber. • Pursue grants that would help one of the three existing ISPs to expand fiber. • Partner with one of these entities to build more fiber. • Attract an additional ISP to the market to construct a new network to compete with the other providers. This paper does not recommend the specific way that CenterFuse should advocate for better broadband for businesses because this project was aimed at identifying the broadband issues in the market. CenterFuse does not have enough facts to consider some of the above solutions, so the first step needed if CenterFuse wants to take an active role in solving this issue would be to undertake more research needed. As an example, CenterFuse can't contemplate funding fiber until you've quantified the cost of building fiber. CenterFuse has a wide range of approaches for addressing most of the issues identified in this report. To the extent that CenterFuse chooses to tackle any of these issues, your response could range from pure advocacy to building the needed infrastructure and providing the needed solution. CCG Consulting has worked with a number of economic development agencies that have been able to build when nobody else was willing to do it. Advocate for Better Business Broadband 1. Expand Fiber Networks The fact that many businesses in downtown Ellensburg have the option to buy fiber broadband from more than one ISP means that the business broadband environment is better than most other cities for at least some part of your market. Consolidated claims it is willing to bring fiber to businesses in most parts of the city. But the fact remains that most of the businesses outside of downtown don't yet have fiber broadband. Page 11