Progress 07/01/06 to 06/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Organized two panel discussions at the National Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) annual meetings in order to help formulate a research agenda for RTC and to inform my own research project. (2006) Secured funding from the Economic Development Administration that provided a PhD student, Ms. Lori Dickes whose dissertation work was on this topic. Conducted a case study of existing broadband projects in several SC cities. Worked with cities of Newberry and Clinton as they went through a long-range telecommuniations planning and feasibility study process. Presented papers at national RTC and Southern Regional Science meetings. Invited to present at several workshops and conferences. Worked with a French intern from Telecomm SudParis to develop two case studies of ARRA-funded and one cooperative broadband development project. Organized and delivered a post-conference session at the National Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC), sponsored by the Southern Rural Development Center and RTC, focused on leveraging existing programs and creating new programs to foster adoption and use of broadband technologies in rural regions. An e-commerce case study project was completed and the results are incorporated into the national E-Commerce Extension Initiative curricular materials at the Southern Rural Development website. Related MarketMaker evaluation project was funded two times by USDA, resulting in several academic publications and presentations. PARTICIPANTS: Dave Lamie,Clemson Associate Professor; Lori Dickes, Clemson PhD Student TARGET AUDIENCES: Decision makers responsible for making investments in ICT infrastructure projects, especially public and non-profit. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Decided to not pursue the development of spreadsheet templates due to the proliferation of similar tools developed during broadband stimulus funding. Opportunities emerged to work on e-commerce case study project and MarketMaker evaluation project. Given the lack of funding from the Experiment Station or other sources to pursue original research plan, this course seemed logical.
Impacts
The results of my research activities helped to illuminate the fact that small business development can be hampered by state policies that retard the proliferation of broadband networks in rural areas. They also helped local decision makers to understand that it is not enough to simply build broadband networks. Local policies, programs and initiatives that foster effective use of broadband in local public, private, and non-profit sectors are necessary to ultimately deliver beneficial outcomes. They also help decision makers understand potential roles for universities and helping universities work together to enhance rural social and economic development through effective adoption and use of broadband.
Publications
- 1. Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. 2007. Social Returns on Investment to Public Information Technology Investments: A Review of the Literature. 2. Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. Paralyzed Municipalities: A Case Study of Legal and Policy Issues for South Carolina Municipal Investment in Advanced ICT for Community and Regional Economic and Social Development 3. Barkley, David L., R. David Lamie, and Deborah M. Markley. Case Studies of E-Commerce in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Review of the Literature. UCED Working Paper 05-2007-01, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, May, 2007. Under review for publication by Southern Rural Development Center and Rural Policy Research Institute. 4. Markley, Deborah M., David L. Barkley, and R. David Lamie. Case Studies of E-commerce Activity in Rural and Small Town Businesses. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, July, 2007. 5. Barkley, David L., R.David Lamie, and Deborah M. Markley. E-Commerce as a Business Strategy: Lessons Learned from Case Studies of Rural and Small Town Businesses. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, August, 2007. 6. Guidebook and Program Delivery Manual. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, October, 2007. 7. Lori A. Dickes, R. David Lamie, and Brian Whitacre. "The Struggle for Broadband in Rural America". Choices feature article. 4th Quarter 2010. 25(4). 8. Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. 2008. Paralyzed Municipalities: The Chilling Effect of Municipal ICT Investments: A Case Study of the Legal and Policy Environment for South Carolina Municipal Investment in Advanced ICT. Telecommunications Policy (pending) 9. Lamie, R. David, David Barkley, Deborah Markely. 2008. Positive Examples and Lessons Learned From Rural Small Business Adoption of E-Commerce Strategies. USDA-ERS. Proceedings from Broadband in the Rural Economy Workshop. 10. Dickes, L. & Lamie, R.D. (2011). The Small Business Impact of Telecommunications Policy Restrictions in Rural States. Rural Connections. September 2011, 37- 42.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Hosted a French intern from Telecomm SudParis and worked with him to develop two case studies of ARRA-funded (Orangeburg and Oconee Counties) and one cooperative (Abbeville, McCormick, and Anderson Counties) broadband development projects. Organized and delivered a post-conference session at the National Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC), sponsored by the Southern Rural Development Center and RTC, focused on leveraging existing programs and creating new programs to foster adoption and use of broadband technologies in rural regions. March 2011: Southern Regional Science Association National Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. Paralyzed State Technology Investments and the Impact on State Small Business Growth. Lamie, R. David. Universities' Role(s) in Broadband Availability and Adoption. Broadband Properties Summit. Dallas, TX. 27 April 2011 Lamie, R. David, Michael Curri, David Herron, and Frank Odasz. Motivating and Measuring Successful Outcomes from Broadband Investments. Panel Presentation at 2011 National Rural Telecommunications Congress. Durham, NC. 18-19 October 2011. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The development of spreadsheets discussed in the original proposal was not attempted due to a proliferation of similar spreadsheet models recently developed by private (Broadband Properties) and public entities (U.S. Department of Commerce - NTIA). Opportunities will be available in the future to develop additional similar tools as a result of the proliferation of projects supported through ARRA funded broadband projects, once these projects are completed.
Impacts
My activities are helping to illuminate the fact that small business development can be hampered by state policies that retard the proliferation of broadband networks in rural areas. I am also helping local decision makers to understand that it is not enough to simply build broadband networks. Local policies, programs and initiatives that foster effective use of broadband in local public, private, and non-profit sectors are necessary to ultimately deliver beneficial outcomes. I am also helping decision makers understand potential roles for universities and helping universities work together to enhance rural social and economic development through effective adoption and use of broadband.
Publications
- Dickes, L. & Lamie, R.D. (2011). The Small Business Impact of Telecommunications Policy Restrictions in Rural States. Rural Connections. September 2011, 37- 42.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The most significant outputs for this project this year included a large grant submission to the U.S. Department of Commerce for broadband stimulus funds to do broadband planning in approximately one-third of the state of South Carolina. Unfortunately, this proposal was not funded. However, its completion has led to subsequent discussions with Connected Nation, the Department of Commerce's choice of entities to do broadband mapping in the state. These discussions are leading to our involvement in a third-party review of their work as well as collaboration on additional outreach on broadband planning in the state. A small grant from the Southern Rural Development Center allowed us to work with the city of McClellanville to develop information technology language for their comprehensive land use and economic development planning updates. This work has led to Dr. Lamie's involvement on a panel at the American Planning Association annual meeting on the topic of professional planners engaging on information technology planning. PARTICIPANTS: R. David Lamie, Associate Professor of Applied Economics and Statistics, housed at the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development. Lori Dickes, PhD. Candidate, Strom Thurmond Institute for Public Policy, Clemson University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Most of the eventual outcomes and impacts of this project are long-term in nature. With the assistance of Connected Nation resources, we are hoping that outreach activities over the next year will generate substantial interest and increases in local/regional planning for information technology infrastructure and programs to help address pressing social needs in South Carolina.
Publications
- Lori A. Dickes, R. David Lamie, and Brian Whitacre. "The Struggle for Broadband in Rural America". Choices feature article. 4th Quarter 2010. 25(4).
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: With the announcement of the federal broadband stimulus program component of the overall ARRA, and the simultaneous loss of funding in our EDA-supported University Center (which funded graduate students), progress along the previously-established directions for the community broadband portions of this project are being reconsidered. Most likely, a survey of community broadband projects funded by ARRA is in order and Dr. Lamie will be reaching out to colleagues with similar research interests in an attempt to develop a multi-state project. Even so, Dr. Lamie was asked to co-author a white paper for submission to the Obama Administration and Congress with colleagues from several other states. Progress was made on the USDA-FSMIP supported MarketMaker evaluation project. Dr. Lamie conducted focus groups in Moline, IL; Manhattan, NY; Grand Rapids, MI; and Denver, CO. In collaboration with colleagues, Drs. Carlos Carpio and Olga Isengildena-Massa, and graduate student, Samuel Zapata, logic models were developed for several user groups including producers, farmers markets, distributors, and restaurants. We are in the final stages of development of a survey instrument for producers and in early stages of survey development for other groups. We made a presentation at the National Food Distribution Research Society annual conference in Denver in October and presented a poster at the National Value-Added Agriculture conference the previous spring. The e-commerce case study project was finalized and the results are now incorporated into the national E-Commerce Extension Initiative curricular materials at the Southern Rural Development website. Dr. Lamie secured a small implementation grant from this program to implement their Connected Rural Communities program in SC and OK. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: As stated earlier, the community broadband focus of this project is in a holding pattern, awaiting additional sources of funding and for the results of the federal broadband stimulus funding to be made available.
Impacts
Dr. Lamie's research experience with community broadband issues was parlayed into a broadband stimulus proposal sub-contract (with Benedict College) to assist rural communities with local broadband planning. Results of the MarketMaker evaluation focus groups were used by the national MarketMaker network as they work with a website designer to enhance the existing site. Results of the logic model development were shared at the MarketMaker consortium's national meeting which helped the group to sharpen its focus. Oklahoma has implemented their Connected Rural Communities program and South Carolina is planning to do so in Spring 2010. As broadband and broadband-enabled tools become increasingly essential for enabling the core activities of human life, and as they become increasingly important for conferring a competitive advantage to regions, exploration of alternative ways to increase access and to encourage effective use of broadband is essential for small, rural communities as they struggle to make good decisions to position themselves for economic and social development.
Publications
- Lamie, R. David, et al. 2009. Broadband Investment for Economic Recovery: Perspectives of an Ad-Hoc Group of State Broadband Entities, Submitted to President Barach Obama, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi and The Honorable Harry Reid.
- Lamie, R. David, David L. Barkley, and Deborah Markley. 2009. Positive Examples and Lessons Learned from Rural Small Business Adoption of E-Commerce Strategies. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. Under Review.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We interviewed additional South Carolina electric cities, beyond the PMPA, using the 2007 survey as a format for discussion. We revised the 2007 Broadband survey to eliminate some redundancies and to streamline the questions. The objective is to survey additional cities in South Carolina, along with cities in other states. We held initial discussions with officials from e-NC to discuss possible opportunities for cross border partnerships. There are several disadvantaged, rural communities along the South Carolina/North Carolina border that could benefit from a range of infrastructure planning programs. Dr. Lamie was invited to present the results of the e-commerce case study research at a USDA-ERS sponsored conference "Broadband in the Rural Economy" on September 28-30, 2008. Dr. Lamie submitted a proposal to USDA-FSMIP program for national level review of MarketMaker food sector e-marketing program. His proposal was accepted. This work began in September 2008. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. R. David Lamie is working closely with Ms. Lori Dickes on the project focused on the public benefits of broadband. Dr. Lamie is working closely with Dr. David Barkley and Ms. Deborah Markley on the e-commerce case studies project. Dr. Barkley works for Clemson University in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics. Ms. Markley is a Co-Director of the Rural Policy Analysis Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Additional activities related to small business e-commerce strategies and evaluation activities associated with the MarketMaker e-marketing program are now included as a component of this project.
Impacts
Outcomes from this research include increased knowledge of the decision-making context of local leadership, including the influence of state level policies that largely set the parameters for local public investment in broadband projects. State policies that require that projects making use of public investment must not cross-subsidize and must pay all fees and taxes that a purely private enterprise would pay, severely restrict the ability of local government to exercise their interests to promote economic and social development through investment in broadband networks. These outcomes are reflected in the associated publications and public presentations. Outcomes of this research project are also being integrated into a companion outreach program "Connecting Rural Communities", to be deployed this year in South Carolina and Oklahoma, which is partially supported through a grant from the Southern Rural Development Center. Outcomes from the case study research include a set of case studies of small business applications of e-commerce and related principles and lessons. These case studies are positioned to be incorporated into an assortment of small business training programs (e.g. FastTrac) both in South Carolina and across the country.
Publications
- Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. 2008. Paralyzed Municipalities: The Chilling Effect of Municipal ICT Investments: A Case Study of the Legal and Policy Environment for South Carolina Municipal Investment in Advanced ICT. Telecommunications Policy (pending)
- Lamie, R. David, David Barkley, Deborah Markely. 2008. Positive Examples and Lessons Learned From Rural Small Business Adoption of E-Commerce Strategies. USDA-ERS. Proceedings from Broadband in the Rural Economy Workshop.
- Lamie, R. David, David Barkley, Deborah Markley. 2008. Positive Examples and Lessons Learned From Rural Small Business Adoption of E-Commerce Strategies. Telecommunications Policy. Special Edition. (pending)
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: In collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Pigg, University of Missouri, Dr. Lamie organized and participated in two panel discussions at the National Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC) annual meetings in order to help formulate a research agenda for RTC and to inform my own research project. Lamie, R. David, Kenneth Pigg. "Coalescing a Research Agenda for the National Rural Telecongress", National Rural Telecongress annual meeting, Little Rock, AR October 22, 2006 Lamie, R. David, Kenneth Pigg. "Identifying the Research Interests and Perceptions of Need With the National Rural Telecongress", moderated open forum session, National Rural Telecongress annual meeting, Little Rock, AR, October 24 2006 In collaboration with Clemson faculty colleagues, Dr. Lamie secured funding from the Economic Development Administration that, among other things, has provided a PhD student, Ms. Lori Dickes, who is working with Dr. Lamie on this research project. Together they developed a
literature review on the topic of social returns on investment for rural broadband telecommunications projects; developed an on-line survey instrument, sought and secured IRB approval, and are currently administering this survey to a targeted group of municipalities with electric utilities in South Carolina. They also conducted a case study of an existing broadband project in Rock Hill, SC and are set to conduct a similar study in Danville, VA. They are also working with the cities of Newberry and Clinton as they work through a long-range telecommuniations planning and feasibility study process. Ms. Dickes and Dr. Lamie presented the results of our research at the 2007 Rural Telecommunications Congress meeting in Springfield, IL. They have a paper accepted for presentation at the 2008 Southern Regional Science Association meeting in March. Related to this research, Dr. Lamie served as host for a site visit from Dr. Jan Poley, Executive Director of the American Distance Education
Consortium for the purposes of exploring how Clemson University might be able to leverage its investment in cyberinfrastructure for the benefit of rural communities. Dr. Lamie organized a panel discussion for the SC Telephone Association and secured the involvement of two prominent leaders from an HBCU and the new Chief Information Officer with Clemson. Lamie, R. David; James Bottum, and Jabari Simama. "Higher Education, Advanced Communication and Information Technologies, and Community and Economic Development: A Potential Partnership for the Success of All of South Carolina", South Carolina Telephone Association, 8 November 2006, Columbia, South Carolina (invited) Dr. Lamie was invited to present at the Southern Rural Development Center's USDA E-Commerce workshop. Lamie, L. David; David Barkley, and Deborah Markley. "E-Commerce as a Strategy for Improving Business Vitality". USDA/SRDC Conference, E-Commerce Strategies for Small Businesses and Communities, Nebraska City, NE, June 6,
2007. (Invited)
PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Kenneth Pigg, University of Missouri Ms. Lori Dickes, Clemson University Dr. David Barkley, Clemson University Dr. Deb Markley, RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship
TARGET AUDIENCES: Rural decision makers, especially those in municipalities with electric utilities.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The most significant change we have made in the course of our research is to focus on communities with electric utilities. The reason for this is that the literature suggests rather strongly that these communities are more likely to take local initiative on broadband telecommunications projects.
Impacts
The long-term outcomes of this project have not yet materialized. However, short-term outcomes include a heightened interest on the part of municipalies in considering local broadband telecommunications initiatives and invigorated interest in affecting the policy environment to be more encouraging of such initiatives. The related research on e-commerce applications for rural communities is expected to generate the short-term outcomes of improved curricular materials for Extension professionals.
Publications
- Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. 2007. Social Returns on Investment to Public Information Technology Investments: A Review of the Literature. Under development.
- Lamie, R. David, Lori Dickes. Paralyzed Municipalities: A Case Study of Legal and Policy Issues for South Carolina Municipal Investment in Advanced ICT for Community and Regional Economic and Social Development (under development;to be presented at Southern Regional Science Association late March 2008)
- Barkley, David L., R. David Lamie, and Deborah M. Markley. Case Studies of E-Commerce in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Review of the Literature. UCED Working Paper 05-2007-01, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, May, 2007. Under review for publication by Southern Rural Development Center and Rural Policy Research Institute.
- Markley, Deborah M., David L. Barkley, and R. David Lamie. Case Studies of E-commerce Activity in Rural and Small Town Businesses. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, July, 2007. Under review for publication by Southern Rural Development Center and Rural Policy Research Institute.
- Barkley, David L., R.David Lamie, and Deborah M. Markley. E-Commerce as a Business Strategy: Lessons Learned from Case Studies of Rural and Small Town Businesses. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, August, 2007. Under review for publication by Southern Rural Development Center and Rural Policy Research Institute.
- Lamie, R. David, David L. Barkley, and Deborah M. Markley. 2007E-Commerce Case Studies Guidebook and Program Delivery Manual. UCED Working Paper, EDA University Center for Economic Development, Clemson University, October, 2007. To be reviewed for publication by Southern Rural Development Center and Rural Policy Research Institute.
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