Wireless Information Network
Chase 3000 / Rural Utilities Services / EIII
Information Page

Click here to go to the Chase 3000 Online Wireless User Guide

This is a variation of the brochure that was an insert in the Imperial Republican, the Grant Tribune, The Wauneta Breeze, and the Holyoke Enterprise on the first week in December issue.  Included in that insert was an application that you could fill out and send in.  We are able to add a few more details here than room and format permits in the newspaper version.

1. Overview of the project to date

2. What are the grant funds for?

3. Computer Education

4. What is a wireless connection?

5. How fast is it?

6. Who is eligible?

7. Why wireless?

8. Computer details

9. The money

10. Educational opportunities

11. Network map

12. What does Chase 3000 gain from this?

13. Frequently Asked Questions

14. Definitions

15. Application form

16. Printer Friendly Application Form

17. Estimated timeline

18. Why is this project good for you and the area?

Steve Smith
Chase 3000
308 882-3000
c3@chase3000.com

$350,000 Grant Provides 225 Computers, 400 Wireless Internet Connections and Education

Chase 3000 has received a $350,000 grant from the Rural Utilities Service, a subdivision of the USDA. This is matched by a $170,000 grant by Chase 3000 and a $130,000 guarantee from EIII, a local non-profit. This money will be used to create a technology learning center in Imperial and provide 400 high-speed wireless internet connections. It also funds 225 computers for those who do not have computers or have old, out-of-date equipment. Most of those receiving this equipment will be asked to pick up only 25% of the cost of the equipment placed at their home.  25 lucky homes have 90% of the costs picked up by the grant.

The equipment is owned by Chase 3000 and cannot be sold or given away. It is on loan to the individual on a semi-permanent basis. As long as the user remains in the service area, maintains a connection to Chase 3000, and has a need for the equipment, they may keep it.

Project also funds computers for community education

Chase 3000 believes there is a great demand for more knowledge on how to use and operate computers and the various software programs.   As a result, Chase 3000 intends to certify local people as teachers who have demonstrated knowledge about certain things.  Chase 3000 will vouch for that person’s knowledge.  Those individual teachers will then set their own rates.  One may charge $1 an hour while another may charge much more.  It is up to them.  You may find you like a particular teacher’s style and are willing to pay them.  You may also decide that you would like to be a teacher.  There will be no one building or room where the classes and tutorials take place.  We want to be more flexible than that.  Classes will be taught at your place of business, at the library, at the school, at your home, or wherever is most appropriate.

We hope you will take the time to tell us what you would like to learn and what you already know (and, hence, might be willing to teach others).  Below is a description of how we hope to operate a community-wide learning program.

Chase 3000 asks you to read the overview on the next page on how we hope to operate this learning program. Then, please fill out the accompanying survey.  The response we get to this survey will determine if and how the program will be conducted.  You are also encouraged to include any suggestions you might have.

Knowledge is power, or so the adage goes.  As you are aware, computers and the Internet have changed our world dramatically.  They have put vast amounts of knowledge at everyone’s fingertips.  Yet, most people feel very ignorant about computers and how to use them.  Chase 3000 hopes to help mobilize the community to unleash this power.

For most people, educational classes are either too basic or too fast.  Often the student feels they know more than the teacher or is quickly lost when the teacher moves on before the idea is comprehended or mastered.

Chase 3000 solves these challenges by a new approach to education.  When you utilize the Chase 3000 program, you will be given an evaluation.  There will be a $5-10 charge for this evaluation.  This will allow for an identification of your skills and areas of need as well as finding others with similar abilities.  It will also allow us to create classes where the group is neither too slow nor too fast for you.

We will provide education via a variety of different approaches.  These include:

1. Private tutoring              (certified teachers)
2. Small group                           (certified teachers)
3. Peer to peer                 (local people who have experience)
4. Online classes              (classes over the Internet)
5. Tech                             (certified technicians)     

Chase 3000 will maintain a list of certified teachers, along with their portfolios, for your review.  You are able to select the teacher that matches your learning style. 

Chase 3000 will provide equipment, scheduling, teacher evaluation, skill evaluation, and skill certification.  Each teacher sets his or her own rates, prerequisites, class size, schedule, and course material. 

In addition to the local personalized classes, Chase 3000 will provide access to online education.  We have partnered with several different educational institutions that offer a wealth of information.  Several online courses are free.  Others do cost.  With one group, for just $50, one can access over a hundred of the most popular subjects over the course of a year.  Many will also be able to meet continuing education requirements – all online.

If you want to participate, then let us know.  We need your involvement now, if this is to work.  So, please fill out the survey.  Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

It's Fast, Very Fast!

Wireless is fast. Very fast. Much faster than any copper wire will allow.

Chase 3000 will provide a 128 kbs dedicated connection between you and the rest of the world. One provider in the region is charging $175 a month for half that speed. Yet, Chase 3000 will charge only $25 a month.

However, the connection will seem much faster than 128 kbs. This is because the connection between you and the computers located locally is at least 2 Mbs and may be as high as 11 Mbs. Any web page that someone on the local network requests will be cached (stored) on our local servers. So, when you want to see the local radar or anything else that someone already loaded, then the page will load into your computer very quickly.

Who Is Eligible?

An individual who lives in

• Chase County

• The Grant school district of Perkins County

• The Holyoke school district of Phillips County.

The applicant may not be a business.
Home-based businesses need to apply in the name of the individual.

There are no other requirements.

Why Wireless

• It eliminates the second phone, if you have two.

• It stops giving busy signals, if you have only one line.

• You stay connected forever (no dial-ups).

• It’s fast — very, very fast.

• Obtain a degree or certificate without leaving home.

• You can work from home.

Computer Details

Many people cannot afford a computer. Many purchased a computer years ago, and it no longer does what they need.

Chase 3000 and the Rural Utilities Service are picking up 75% of the cost of 200 computers. We are also picking up 92.5% of the cost for 25 computers and wireless connections. Fifteen inch monitors are included

The Money

Without the grant, the wireless equipment and installation that goes at your home costs $1000. With the grant, there are three programs.

The wireless only at 75% discount – your cost is $250;

The wireless and computer at 75% discount — your cost is $400;

The wireless and computer at 92.5% discount - your cost is $120.

You are also responsible for paying an access charge of $25 a month and paying for any repairs necessary to keep the computer and wireless equipment in working order, if those things break and are out of warranty.

As you are receiving between $1000 and $1600 worth of equipment for a fraction of the cost, you will need to report a gain on your tax return for a fraction of this benefit. This will vary depending on which equipment and percentage discount you receive. For most people, the gain they will have to report will be around $200—$400 spread over a couple of years. A statement giving the exact amount will be provided before you commit.

Some homes may need more than a simple window antenna or small roof mounted antenna. On those homes, a tower or extra cable may be required to place the antenna in a place where a line-of-sight is possible. If the cable needs to be more than 75 ft, then the cost of the cable triples from $1 a foot to $3 a foot. This extra cost will be the responsibility of the homeowner. If this amount is more than the homeowner is willing to afford, then there is no financial obligation — any money spent will be returned and the equipment will be placed at another home.

Once your system is installed and operating properly, any future visits required from Chase 3000 to your home will incur a service charge of $20/hour. If the visit is required for defective equipment that is still under warranty, no fee will be charged.

Educational Opportunities

Chase 3000 has established relationships with educational institutions to help make it easy for you to access educational opportunities. These include:

• Christa McAuliffe Academy

• Western Governors University

• UCLA's OnlineLearning.net

• VCampus

• Dpec

Over 2000 online courses. And many more to be added as we add other partners.

The purpose of the grant is to assist rural residents gain access to educational opportunities.

It is up to you to determine what type of education you need and how to best obtain it.  This grant gives you the resources to obtain that education from a large number of sources and via a large variety of different methods.

Network Map

Each computer within each community will share a 2 Mbs connection to the tower in the area. There will be multiple antennas in some areas. As the number of people using the system grows, we will add more antennas. These towers relay the signal to a central point where a connection is made to the other communities and to the internet. At the central site, a computer will store commonly used web pages. Thus, if you download one of these pages, you will have extremely fast access. The connection to the rest of the internet is limited to 128 kbs for each user. Additional bandwidth is available. The 128 kbs connection costs you $25 a month. This same connection would cost you about $400 a month in another nearby community.

The antenna locations will be determined after the applications have been received.  At that point we will do a site survey that will tell us the best location for the antennas given the locations of the users.  We will not get 100% coverage but will cover as many as we possibly can.  We will place antennas on towers, elevators, water towers as we are permitted.  We will build our own towers if we must.

Chase 3000 will lose money every time an existing customer switches from our dial-up to wireless, but we also hope to gain 100-200 new customers through this project. Chase 3000 does not keep any of the $350,000 grant money. All of that goes into the user’s homes. Even though we must own the equipment in order to fulfill grant terms, it is of no value to us beyond that it gives you the ability to connect to us.  Once the depreciation on the equipment runs out, we plan to sell it to you for a $1.

Chase 3000 will invest $120,000 into building the infrastructure that makes it possible to provide this service. In addition, we are also donating $50,000 to community organizations and individuals.

Our goal is to create a more modern and powerful network that helps the entire community in many ways. We also hope to create a stable business that helps provide an economic and structural base for a growing region.

We believe this will create many more opportunities for everyone in the community, including Chase 3000.

You live in the target area (all of Chase County, the Grant school district of Perkins County and the Holyoke school district of Phillips County). Living in town is still considered rural and eligible.

Fill out the application.

You are eligible even if you have money, even if you have no children, and even if you already have a computer. You should fill out the application, as we do not know how many people will apply.

You are not a business. You may operate a business out of your home, but the application must be completed by the individual.

Pay the monthly connection charge of $25 a month + $20 annual fee.

Pay the one-time charge for use of the equipment.

Keep the equipment in good working order. Unless it is under warranty, all repairs are at your expense.

No. The terms of the grant prohibit Chase 3000 from selling or giving away the equipment distributed in this grant, until it becomes obsolete.

The grant is for private individuals only. But, if the business purchases the equipment necessary, it may have access without grant help.

Yes. Since it would not be purchased with grant funds, it is yours.

You are not eligible for the matching funds on the wireless equipment or the computer. However, if you purchase your own equipment and are within range of one of the towers, you may subscribe.

If you have an older computer that operates at 100 MHz or less, then you have increased chances of receiving a new computer. If you have a more powerful computer, you are unlikely to receive a new one.

Yes, should the review committee choose you as a recipient.

You may add equipment and software to the computer. But, should the computer be returned to Chase 3000, the computer must have at least the same or better equipment and software as when you received it.

Usually between 3 and 20 miles. The waves will not go through buildings, so we place antennas in the windows or on the roofs. Some homes will need an amplifier. Some will not be able to receive a signal.

No. This replaces your dial-up connection. There is only one $25 fee.

The equipment is then returned to Chase 3000, as the grant does not allow us to sell or give away the equipment. It will, then, be loaned to someone else in the community.

Because there are monthly charges for connecting to the national network at a rate of about $3000 a month for every 1500 kbs. A monthly charge is the only way to perpetuate the operation of the system. We will require multiple 1500 kbs connections to support this large of a network.

No. This is not the most powerful computer made today, but it will do everything necessary to provide an internet connection and perform all the typical functions most people want a computer for, such as word processing, accounting, and playing 90% of the games made today. This computer is more powerful than any computer purchased more than one year ago.

Yes, but you decide what classes to take and when, and what qualifies as the education you need.

With this plan, the $20 annual fee will be waived, if you pay annually.

Anything within 5 miles of our towers should not be affected by the weather. Connections over that may be temporarily disrupted by heavy downpours or blizzards.

Yes, if you have a local area network in your home or business.

The antenna we use depends on your location and distance from the main antenna. Some will be able to put a small antenna in their window. Others will need to mount a 2'x4' antenna on their roof.

It will depend on the number of applications we receive. We will give preference to the wireless applications. If we receive more than 400 applications, it is possible to place only computers in homes with a dial-up connection rather than a wireless connection. We will not know if this is possible until we know how many people apply. Apply for what you need, but going wireless is the grant’s focus.

Yes. The wireless equipment by itself will improve your internet experience dramatically. The grant makes it affordable. The amount it costs you to use the equipment is made up in a matter of a few months with what you save when eliminating the second line. Even if you have only one phone line you will benefit by freeing up the phone line so you do not give busy signals.

Always-on will change the way you treat the internet and how you use it. Gain education or work from home. There are no busy signals. It’s fast.

If you believe that knowledge is power, then there is no better way to access information than through this system. 

There will be one person from each of the 5 communities served. These people will not be affiliated with Chase 3000. Each will be provided a copy of your application and will score that application. Each reviewer’s scores will be compiled and used to create a composite score ranked from highest to lowest. Then, we will contact those chosen for funding and confirm their interest.

Definitions

• Kbs = kilobits per second

• Mbs = Megabits per second = 1000 kbs

• LAN = Local Area Network, usually a group of computers connected together by wires capable of communicating at 10 to 100 Mbs.

• Bandwidth = A term used to describe the capacity of the connection.

• GHz = Gigahertz. One billion cycles per second. We use the 2.4 GHz frequency, which is close to your microwave. We operate at 1 watt or less. Your microwave oven uses several hundred watts.