New Mapping Software Helps Providers With ARRA Applications

REDLANDS, CA — A new software and data package from ESRI will help U.S. broadband service providers and telecommunications companies analyze broadband market opportunities as they prepare to apply for federal broadband stimulus funding. The Telecommunications Mapping and Analysis Package (TMAP) makes it possible to analyze cable and wire center data and locate areas ideal for broadband expansion, including rural and remote areas that are unserved and underserved by high-speed Internet.

TMAP supports activities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which makes $7.2 billion available for broadband expansion activities in the United States.

"With TMAP, small or large service providers can better compete for funds available through the Broadband Improvement Program (BIP) and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)," says Randy Frantz, ESRI telecommunications and location-based services industry solutions manager. "It provides the information and processing power for creating compelling evidence for proposed projects and qualifying for stimulus funds."

The customizable package includes ESRI geographic information system (GIS) software (ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Business Analyst) for analyzing data and communicating results in a geospatial environment. Data includes U.S. demographic, business, and street data; wire center data from Tele Atlas; cable boundary data from MediaPrints; and optional data on consumer mobile voice and data services. Companies can use the package to map existing services and analyze future needs at the state, regional or national level.

TMAP helps providers:

• Map locations of existing service provider operating areas in a state or region or at the national level.


• Identify rural and remote areas as required in the funding application.


• Analyze demographics and develop business intelligence to determine which areas will develop into a profitable market capable of sustaining new services.