Caprio Partners with RI-WINs to Show Benefits of Border-to-Border Broadband Wireless Network for R.I.
April 30, 2007 | Print this page | Share This | Email this page
General Treasurer endorses wireless broadband project and will put network to the test as state seeks to become the first state in nation to offer this groundbreaking service
General Treasurer Frank Caprio announced his support for the statewide rollout of the Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks (RI-WINs), an effort to make Rhode Island the first state in the country with a border-to-border wireless broadband network. In addition to pledging support, Caprio is putting the network to the test, making his the first executive office to directly use the RI-WINs network.
"RI-WINs will offer innumerable benefits to the people of Rhode Island by providing a cutting-edge communications network that will help our businesses become more competitive and our government deliver better service to our citizens," says Caprio. "At the same time, RI-WINs will create a powerful platform for attracting new companies and new jobs to Rhode Island. Now, more than ever, we need to position Rhode Island for sustained economic growth and development and RI-WINS is an important part of that effort."
RI-WINs, a project of the non-profit Business Innovation Factory, has put forth a plan to blanket the state with a wireless broadband network that allows enterprise users to exchange large quantities and sophisticated forms of data (video, plans, specs, etc.) from any location in Rhode Island. Caprio said this coverage is vital for workers who need a mobile connection, government agencies that need to provide better and more cost effective services, businesses that want to implement wireless solutions, and emergency responders, police, and firefighters who urgently need to share information in real-time whether they are in a city or in the state's most rural outposts.
RI-WINs went live with a pilot network in June 2006 and is running several applications on a small-scale version of the network in Providence and Newport. Caprio joined the pilot this week when he and his staff were outfitted with access to the network.
"This is the beginning of the end of an old model of delivering government services which required people to go to an office or public building to access services," said Caprio. "The RI-WINs network will give us the power to create a new model of delivering public services to people on their terms, giving citizens access when they want it and from where they are. It will literally allow us to bring government to the people."
Current applications being tested on the RI-WINs network include a port security project that allows government agencies and emergency personnel to share and distribute real-time information about activity in Narragansett Bay, real-time data exchange for food inspectors dealing with threats of infectious disease or food contamination, and an application where field workers for the Department of Children, Youth and Families can use the network while in the field to access files and share critical information.
In February 2007, the Business Innovation Factory announced plans for taking the network statewide. Plans for statewide expansion are based on results from the project's piloting phase and a business plan and financial analysis performed by Altman & Vilandrie, a Boston-based telecommunications consulting firm. RI-WINs non-profit, public/private partnership business model allows the network to fulfill its mission to create a statewide platform for driving innovation and economic development and be financially self-sustaining.
Caprio said the total cost for the project is $28 million, including the initial build out of the network and start-up costs, after which revenue from the network will be sufficient to meet all expenses. RI-WINs is not seeking a direct cash investment from the state to fund the statewide rollout of the network. Instead, the project will raise capital directly from private lenders and, as reflected in the proposed FY 08 Rhode Island state budget, will seek only a loan guarantee from the General Assembly. That guarantee would not have direct impact on this year's budget.
A credit enhancement from the State will enable RI-WINs to quickly secure financing, move the project forward, and allow RI-WINs to operate as a non-profit organization focused on innovation, economic development and job creation.
Caprio's team will use the RI-WINs network over the next several months to develop and test ideas for how RI-WINs and border-to-border broadband can enhance state services and create new opportunities for innovation in government services.
"RI-WINs is an important opportunity for our state to accelerate innovation across the private sector and across state and local government," says Caprio. "With this kind of competitive advantage, Rhode Island will be well positioned to establish high tech learning and working environments across the state. This is a perfect example of how leadership can use technology to better serve Rhode Island citizens and build a brighter, more prosperous future for Rhode Island's children."
Contact
Peter Kerwin, Director of Communications, (401) 222-2397(o) / (401) 595-3920(c)
Andy Cutler, (401) 751-2486,
