The State of Wyoming (by virtue of its low population, large landmass and small, focused government and excellent state university's broad field-research capabilities) is poised to immediately assume the role of performing (primarily for the benefit of American technology companies) as a "Fully-Integrated, Test and Evaluation, Field-Deployment Site" for the emerging information technologies that will find their market success in the less-developed nations of the world.

This "Plan C" goes beyond "Plan A" (government alone tackles the problem) and "Plan B" (corporations and outside "experts" study the problem) and goes right to the core of the problem...worldwide!

And that "problem" is that information technology-- by itself-- is nothing. What matters is the USE of the technology to GET and SEND information...to accomplish larger social, economic and educational goals. Plan C calls for the State of Wyoming to commit its resources to studying the IMPLEMENTATION of of emerging information technologies; and to do this test and evaluation in such a way that, A. The state's citizens benefit (as will the citizens of other places who then get the field-tested technology) and B. The citizens of the other places have PROOF-- good or bad-- that the technology solution, in question worked (in Wyoming!)

The emerging information technologies (mostly wireless in nature) that will impact ordinary people's lives, worldwide...are technologies that go far-beyond simple minded "pipe" models of "broadband" and "backbone" and "bandwidth". The impact of these emerging technologies will, instead, utterly transform education, business, recreation, natural resource management and urban development. And the measure of how well they impact all areas of life, are metrics that Wyoming can Test and Evaluate-- better than anyplace else in America!

Wyoming is now a perfect ,fully-integrated "field laboratory" for the successful field-trial, test and evaluation of these technology's impact on "less-developed" ordinary lives. And such a measurement, by Wyoming, of the real world cost/benefits of these technologies, can become a virtual "baseline" for measuring their success in other "less developed" areas of the world; Because Wyoming is LIKE those places... "Less developed" in every way!

By encouraging the field-trials of the latest (and most beneficial) new information technology to the State, "Plan C" is designed to demonstrate immediate socio-economic benefits to the people of Wyoming (as well as to the people of the rural United States and to the "less advantaged" citizens of the world. And at a Federal policy level, this proposal is just good international relations... showing an American commitment to the success of the emerging markets-- not just their successful (even ruthless) "Market exploitation"!

This proposal was created by John A. Guthrie III
president, Laser Radio, Inc, Laramie, Wyoming ph/fax (307) 745-4170
Email
Everything on this page is Copyright, 2000; Laser Radio, Inc.

General Outline of Plan C:

This Proposal is intended to help the good offices of the State of Wyoming immediately achieve benefits for the citizens of Wyoming: Benefits, measurable by the citizens themselves, in better educational and economic opportunities, workforce and business valuations and (correspondingly) lower operating costs for government and business operations, statewide.

This proposal calls for the immediate efforts by State officials (starting with their interaction, June 22-23, 2000 with visiting FCC commissioner, Harold Furchtgott-Roths) to make the State of Wyoming be viewed, by "Technology decision-makers" (from the FCC to American information technology producers) as a unique "Fully-integrated, test and evaluation, deployment host for the field trials of all kinds of emerging, new information technologies".

The validity of this "Wyoming as testbed" concept is simple and clear. Until now, information technology deployments have been "Easy sells", in the industrialized and urban nations. Now, the (anticipated and yet to be proven) "global buildout of the info-structure" requires sales to "less-developed nations". The socio-economics and political/ land-control issues of these "less developed" countries-- regardless of their national political systems-- are, simply, very much like Wyoming's! Low population densities, high ratio of government employment and land ownership, limited economic options for future development, etc.

Using "Wyoming as testbed" will enable the FCC and American technology providers to ensure American technological success, domestically (in rural-area rollouts of emerging technologies) and internationally (ensuring greater American company competitiveness in emerging markets, because of proven/ documented field trials).

Wyoming is uniquely-situated for enabling this concept:
Because of The University of Wyoming's broadly-based (by school and department) field-research history and culture; Because of the state's relatively small state government and its history of working closely with local government and business and education (each of which has baseline data to measure the impact of new technologies; as that data is correlated, under Plan C.

Wyoming's "hosting" can begin with the immediate (year 2000) field deployments of Ultra-wideband technologies (which the FCC only just approved field trials for, May 10th).

To support this proposal's claim that Wyoming is, in fact, perfectly-suited for technology-impact studies, this proposal also calls for an immediate, statewide baseline survey, to measure current "Information technologies and their uses", to be accomplished by Laser Radio or some other entity (under contract to the various state institutions, responsible for evaluating data from the field in areas like economic development, education, business development, tourism, ranching, game-management, etc).

This statewide survey (of every town over 200 people) would determine the REAL needs, costs and social and economic benefits of new technology-deployments... a baseline from which the impact of new technology deployments could be best measured.

Until now, no single, comprehensive statewide survey has been conducted that includes data on matters like current educational utilization of technology, consumer useage patters, business requirements, zoning of cities--relative to DSL and other bandwidth solutions, etc.

Until now, the State of Wyoming has typically conducted narrow-issue "studies" on matters like bandwidth avilability to communities-- not how bandwidth is actually being used, or if it's really "needed" (relative to improved efficiencies of use that may lie outside of raw bandwidth, ie compression and time-shifting, etc).

Selling Wyoming as a testbed for new information technologies.

Wyoming (now) has all the factors that are just emerging, as the "market" moves into the developing world as attractive baselines for evaluating new info-technologies and their associated economic impacts, worldwide.
These "Wyoming factors" (low population, large landmass, etc) have, until now, been largely perceived as "high tech weaknesses".
No longer! Wyoming is PERFECT for evaluating this "latest age" of information technology!
As the state motto exclaims, Wyoming is, "Like no place else on Earth"!

Ironically (in light of the criticisms, leveled at the state for being "backward), Wyoming is NOW the perfect place for emerging information-technology test and evaluation: Precisely BECAUSE Wyoming IS sparsely-populated and rooted in mineral extraction and range management...and yes, the culture is also rooted in "tradition". In fact, Wyoming is MORE like the rest of the world-- than any other state in the U.S! And in abstract terms of communications and economic theory, Wyoming virtually "is" Siberia, Australia, China, Africa, India and South America!

And Wyoming's eco/demographic similarity with the regions of the world that have (now) been pegged as the NEXT "information age goldmine" of market opportunity... makes Wyoming the perfect place in the USA, to deploy new information technologies, and measure their real world economic, social and political effects; So that American companies have an edge in their eventual global deployment!

Wyoming's hard working leadership... in government, community, education and business... and the journalistic excellence of its local media, ensures that the State of Wyoming can position itself to be viewed as THE place in the USA, where the future of information technology deployment is first "seen" in all its real-effects on homelife, recreation, family, school, workplace, health government and law enforcement.

What this proposal calls for is essentially to turn Wyoming into an "information technology lab"; And in the process, transform the insular, closed and largely insecure-- even self-negative-- cultures of small town and "urban" Wyoming. This proposal will even measure the numbers of people who "Couldn't care less" and who will thus need to be dragged by their socks into the "Information Age".

Wyoming can get federal study grants for evaluating technology deployments. It can get contracts from corporations to perform the research and endowments also from corporate foundations. Technology companies, WORLDWIDE, will want to be "Wyoming certified" and the University of Wyoming can form research liasons with other schools and government researchers, worldwide. Exciting new companies will move to Wyoming, to be closer to the innovation and culture of the state!

Making the Information Age pay off for Wyoming...ASAP!!!
(a comprehensive, statewide, BASELINE SURVEY must be performed IMMEDIATELY!)

As the previous parts of this proposal call for, Wyoming institutions must immediatly commit themselves to becoming CAPABLE of being viewed as a scientifically-legitimate, "real world testbed" (in the eyes of an elite set of decision makers and theorists). So, what is the first step for the State-- to PROVE its commitment to stepping out and being seen as a "Technology leader"?

The State's bureaucracy and University of Wyoming must first demonstrate the official commitment to achieve the measurable test and evaluation research objectives that Plan C calls for.
A Baseline Survey must immediately be performed, which establishes current, statewide, technology utilization and also the anticipated future needs and socio-economic and educational goals for the State. Besides being needed as a baseline for "Plan C" this comprehensive survey is essential for the State policy-makers, so that planning of the State's future can be formulated-- based on DATA!

And, of course, in regards to "Plan C" (and from any scientific- method standpoint) such a baseline survey is statistically essential... to prove the validity of future test and evaluation results.

THE GOAL OF PERFORMING A STATEWIDE SURVEY:

To interactively-determine from statewide "market intelligence" (gained from the ground-up, with surveys... and implemented, top-down, by planning and policy-formation that is based on professional evaluation of the ground-up survey results). The statewide survey is not just about "Info-Tech" but also its current and anticipated usefulness and benefits!

This proposed Baseline survey of Wyoming would start with interviews state agencies: To identify existing data that has already been collected on information technology deployments, infrastructure limitations and planned upgrades, etc.
Also interviewed: All "non technology" state agencies-- on data pertaining to educational, social and business effects of technology deployments... all of which can be correlated into a "Comprehensive survey" (which would then be designed to fill in the "holes" in existing State data sets).

Field surveys can be taken by newspaper (for apx $7,000 statewide; according to Wyoming Press Assn) and by internet and by field-survey interviews. Overall, the survey techniques and statistical sampling and needed to achieve an accurate baseline, is the obvious area of strength that the University of Wyoming can perform the function of achieving.

Background on Laser Radio