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Northeast Service Cooperative outlines fiber investment, member services and regional supports to Rock Ridge board
Summary
Paul Brinkman of the Northeast Service Cooperative briefed the Rock Ridge board on cooperative, member-driven programs and a major fiber expansion supported by a roughly $3,000,000 EDA grant and local match; he highlighted regional collaboration, network upgrades and programs that can supplement district services.
Paul Brinkman, representing the Northeast Service Cooperative, presented to the Rock Ridge board on the co-op's menu-driven services and recent investments in regional broadband and programmatic supports.
Brinkman described the cooperative as member-driven and noted it serves multiple counties with programs ranging from telecommunications and technology to career and technical education and behavioral health. He detailed recent network work: a core upgrade described in the presentation and an expansion project supported in part by an EDA grant. "In 2021, we received a grant of 3 and $3,000,000 from EDA, federal government," Brinkman said, and added the cooperative's match was "just under 1,000,000." He said the expansion will create more than 1,200 miles of optical fiber to serve schools, local governments and telco partners in the region.
Brinkman emphasized the cooperative's "menu" model: districts pick services that fit their needs rather than adopting all offerings. He also highlighted work on career and technical education, behavioral-health supports and a redundant regional fiber backbone to improve reliability.
Board members thanked Brinkman; administration noted the cooperative can save the district money through cooperative purchasing and that the district already uses some services. Brinkman invited follow-up questions and offered contact details for further information.
