About the
Broadband Planning Toolkit

Learn more about each of the offerings our team can provide to help you in developing your broadband development and delivery model.

Let us help you deliver

connectivity

broadband equity

broadband infrastructure

affordable broadband options

to your constituents

Michael Baker International has been a leader in engineering pathways and infrastructure for over 80 years. That is why we’re at the frontline of helping federal, state, regional, and local government in identifying projects, securing funding, and implementing initiatives to provide affordable access to broadband and related digital devices. Access to broadband is now a requirement and a shift in transportation has occurred – we are now transporting commerce, education, healthcare, and ideas utilizing high speed internet that were only possible with physical transportation in the past.

The Michael Baker team has substantial experience in broadband planning and implementation with in-depth program management and GIS mapping experience for six statewide programs including Pennsylvania, Kentucky, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, and New York, where the Michael Baker team supported the “Broadband for All” program with broadband planning services related to program support, reverse auction preparation, data validation, internet service provider coordination, analysis, and graphics creation.

Our team of experienced experts provide a variety of services that can be utilized together or in a custom delivery option handpicked by you specific for your needs to bring digital infrastructure to your community. Whether it’s expanding broadband access in rural areas, providing affordability programs throughout a geographical region, implementing connected smart city technology such as Internet of Things (IoT), or coordinating broadband infrastructure implementation with surface transportation improvement projects we have the team and the experience to help you realize your goals.

Learn more about each of the offerings our team can provide to help you in developing your broadband development and delivery model.

Connecting Your Goals with Customized Implementation

Our integrated planning process ensures definitive and purposeful linkages between technical planning and public and stakeholder engagement.

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What can we provide at michael baker international?

We know how to analyze and provide you with easy-to-understand data. Michael Baker has developed an efficient and effective “big data” analysis application and workflow that quickly and efficiently processes and compares records of national broadband and demographic data, including datasets such as FCC Form 477 and Ookla to help identify areas of improvement or opportunity.

Analysis of current broadband status is incredibly helpful in understanding the coverage, speed, resources, and gaps of connectivity. In addition to connectivity, the development of data dashboards for a comprehensive Broadband atlas provides the opportunity to analyze demographic and socioeconomic impacts on access and adoption including Environmental Justice and Title VI.

What can we provide at michael baker international?

The Michael Baker Broadband Field Ops team is able to take a more in-depth approach by doing a ‘boots on the ground’ survey to validate broadband areas that are truly unserved. Field crews use geo-enabled tablets with custom mapping software installed. The Broadband Field Ops team records the location (latitude and longitude), any user-defined attribute fields (ex: Infrastructure Type), and photographs captured at the location surveyed. Also installed on the tablet is speed test software provided by our partner, Ookla. This allows testing of the mobile broadband speeds at each survey location. Collecting mobile broadband speeds helps in determining if locations lack both fixed and mobile broadband connectivity.

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What can we provide at michael baker international?

As the Broadband Field Ops team is surveying unserved areas, Michael Baker employees back at the office are able to see real-time progress as the field team travels from one location to another. Using enterprise GIS software, with web mapping applications, managing real-time geospatial data supports rapid, on-the-fly data processing and allows for the coordination of staff. Real-time QA/QC checks occur, ensuring the data is accurate.

What can we provide at michael baker international?

Stakeholder Engagement
& Workshops

Having an opportunity to be in a room, whether in-person or virtually through our , to hear about a project and talk in real-time about ideas or suggestions is invaluable. We thrive on talking to people and hearing their concerns because it does make a difference. We develop stakeholder engagement opportunities and workshops that allow for engaging and honest conversations. We take notes. We follow-up. This is what relationships are built on and at Michael Baker, we do it well. Connectivity is vital, just as water and electricity is, and we want to help. You’ll receive reports on attendance, participation, feedback and more. Stakeholder engagement will help drive identification of areas that need improvement or areas of opportunity for connectivity initiatives.

What can we provide at michael baker international?

Unbiased data is integral to understanding the true market and current baseline of connectivity in any given region. Through the development of simple, yet thorough public surveys that are distributed in a variety of methods ensuring accessibility for constituents of all digital literacy levels or needs, we provide an opportunity to understand your community and the impact their current connectivity has. We can collaborate and modify to incorporate questions specific to your region or initiative and can employ a variety of distribution and promotional techniques to ensure engagement.

Our Broadband Survey application incorporates Speedtest by Ookla to understand download speeds, upload speed, latency, and jitter. Information is captured at an address level to understand the true state of connectivity at every location, including the respondents sentiments on their connectivity.

What can we provide at michael baker international?

Let us provide a one-stop shop of information and educational material for your stakeholders through a project specific website that incorporates your branding, voice, and tone. We’ll do the heavy lifting and maintenance, but your input, branding, and approval will be the centerpiece to making it a success. We’ll work with you on wireframes, content development, and the tools to include so that we can get data from visitors by linking to the survey and speed test to help bolster our data collection methods while educating your stakeholders.

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