Celebrating a 21st Century Internet Network for Nevada County

With grant funding about to be approved, Spiral’s ultra-fast, Gigabit-per-second fiber optic network for Nevada County is nearing reality. Nevada County’s network will be one of the first in California, and the first in rural Northern California. In fact, as an applicant of Google’s Fiber for Communities initiative, Spiral will be launching their network before Google Fiber launches one in California. Spiral will build it…and our community will use it and benefit from it; changing how we live and work in Nevada County.

All of us at Spiral Internet are thrilled to invite you to the Spiral Gigabit Launch.

AT YOUR HOME AND FOR YOUR BUSINESS
You will find out how and why Spiral is building a Gigabit network in western Nevada County; all underground and all wired with 100% fiber optics. Most importantly, you will find out when we will be bringing that connection to your neighborhood, home and business. And why it will be future safe for 100 years from now.

INSPIRATION FROM NATIONAL LEADERS
To inspire and inform our community, Spiral is bringing guests from around the country, including Mike Burke and Aaron Deacon from Kansas City – who have been key in envisioning how both Kansas City, Missouri (and Kansas) will leverage Google Fiber;  Blair Levin, Executive Director of Gig.U and the architect of the National Broadband Plan; and Anne Neville, Director of the State Broadband Initiative at the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Our guests will tell us about how Gigabit speed Internet access will build and sustain our local economy. They will also bring us up-to-date on the Gigabit fiber optic revolution that is happening across the country. Read more about them below.

AND MORE
As the organizers of 95959google in 2010, you know that Spiral likes to have lots of fun and surprises, and throws a good party. So yes, expect that too.

REGISTER FOR FREE
There is no charge for this public event, but you will need to register in order to attend. Please do so today, as seating is limited!

IF THE EVENT IS SOLD OUT
If the event is sold out, please contact us at launch@spiral.com and we will put your name on a waiting list. You will have to show up at the door, no later than 6:50pm.

Register today ! 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Blair Levin
serves as the Executive Director of Gig.U: The Next Generation Network Innovation Project, an initiative of three dozen leading research university communities seeking to support educational and economic development by accelerating the deployment of next generation networks. He also serves as an advisor to a variety of non-profits with a mission of deploying or using broadband technology to advance social progress, including Case Commons, Volo and the LEAD Commission. Mr. Levin also advises both privately held and public companies in the telecom and technology sectors.

Previously, Mr. Levin worked with the Communications & Society Program with the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, following his departure in 2010 from the Federal Communications Commission where he oversaw the development of a National Broadband Plan. Mr. Levin rejoined the Commission in 2009, after eight years as an analyst at Legg Mason and Stifel Nicolaus.  As Barron’s Magazine noted, Levin “has always been on top of developing trends and policy shifts in media and telecommunications … and has proved visionary in getting out in front of many of today’s headline making events.”

Levin served as Chief of Staff to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt from December 1993 through October 1997.  Mr. Levin oversaw, among other matters, the implementation of the 1996 Telecommunications Reform Act, the first spectrum auctions, the development of digital television standards, and the Commission's Internet initiative.

Prior to his position with the FCC, Mr. Levin was a partner in the North Carolina law firm of Parker, Poe, Adams and Bernstein, where he represented new communications ventures, as well as numerous local governments on public financing issues. He is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.

PANELISTS
Anne Neville
As Director of the State Broadband Initiative at the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Anne Neville has spent the last five years heading two major technology initiatives. Anne led an innovative collaboration between states and the Federal government when she developed the first national dataset of broadband availability and led the implementation of the National Broadband Map in collaboration with the Federal Communications Commission. 

Anne also developed and directed a grant program that supports state and local activities across the digital economy, including open data, Gov 2.0 services, ICT training and broadband planning. She is the author and co-author of several papers that examine broadband access as well as its relationship to geography and job opportunities, and has presented on behalf of the United States Government at OECD and European Union meetings. Anne has advised leaders in Europe, Africa and the Middle East on broadband, data security and digital governance and served as a Global Leadership Fellow in Technology and Telecom at the World Economic Forum. 

Previously, Anne served as California's Assistant Secretary for Economic Development and Technology, leading the state's first broadband initiative. As a Senate Fellow in the California Senate and regulatory staff at the Public Utilities Commission, Anne worked on a wide range of issues, including telecom mergers, fisheries, video franchises, and incarceration. She got her start fixing computers and teaching ICT skills in college, later worked for a dot com that didn't survive the first boom, and proudly served as an AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteer in San Diego, where she directed and ran a public computing center that is still open today. 

Michael Burke
is a director and CEO of Burke Payne, LLC law firm in Kansas City. He is a life long Kansas City resident. He received his undergraduate degree in History from Georgetown University in 1970 and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center where he was Research Editor for Law and Policy in International Business.

Mr. Burke is active in the rapidly developing Kansas City technology community. He was appointed by Mayor James as Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Bistate Innovation Team, a task force charged with developing strategies for the use of the new fiber technology in Kansas City. He also serves on the Board of Directors and as Co-Founder of the KC Digital Drive, a program to implement strategies for the growth of Kansas City as a leading technology center. Mr. Burke chaired the Launch KC Initiative, a program of the Kansas City Economic Development Corporation to assist small and medium size tech companies. He is a member of the Missouri IT Council and on the Advisory Committee to the Digital Sandbox, a proof of concept center started with the leadership of the University of Missouri Kansas City.

Mr. Burke has also served in a variety of capacities on behalf of the City of Kansas City, Missouri including: First District City Councilman, Chair of the Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC), Chair of the All America City Committee, Chair of the Kansas City Riverfest, Board of Directors of the Convention and Visitors Association, and Chair of the Kansas City Port Authority.

Kansas City Magazine has recognized Mr. Burke’s legal achievements for several years in a row with the ‘Super Lawyer’ designation as Top Attorney in the category of Government/Cities and Municipalities.  Mr. Burke was recently recognized by Government Technology Magazine as one of the nation’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers. 

Aaron Deacon
Aaron Deacon is managing director for KC Digital Drive, a nonprofit startup that finds technology solutions for social and civic problems. Working closely with the Kansas City mayors’ offices, KC Digital Drive was designed to drive innovation and collaboration in Kansas City and capitalize on next generation infrastructure. The organization covers a broad range of issues including education, health care, the arts, entrepreneurship, sustainability and digital inclusion.

Aaron has been an instrumental leader in helping Kansas City prepare to be the first market for Google Fiber. He helped create the Building the Gigabit City community brainstorming session, led the Give Us a Gig initiative for neighborhood education, engagement and advocacy, and leads the Gigabit City Summit to explore city infrastructure issues around next generation networks.

He is the founder and principal of the research and strategic planning agency Curiolab. He serves as chairman of the Social Media Club of Kansas City. He has a masters in social science from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas.