California Engineering Contractors, Pleasanton, Calif., was not happy with its high-speed Internet options. Even while paying thousands of dollars a month for bonded T1 lines or similar high-end connectivity at its main office, field offices at projects were often stuck with limited broadband. “In construction, sometimes you just don’t have the facilities for a T1,” deadpans Sam Hanna, CEC Internet technology director. Photo: Mushroom Networks The Truffle can bond up to six internet connections. But most of the company’s data traffic moves between project sites and the main office, and slow connections and digital bottlenecks can cost money. So CEC
Mapping existing broadband service is a requirement for states angling for a piece of the roughly $4.2 billion in matching American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for high-speed Internet expansion. But with a deadline approaching, states and municipalities have been scrambling to find the data. Photo: Connected Nation Michael Ramage (left) explains BroadbandStat at its debut at a Congressional policy exhibition in Washington, D.C., where it attracted interest from local officials seeking to expand broadband. Now, a new tool is available to help. In February, Connected Nation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to expanding high-speed Internet access, launched BroadbandStat, a
The perennial problem of workforce shortages and worries about bringing a new generation into the construction industry are nothing new for Bob Bailey.
