WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - May 16, 2017) - Geeks Without Frontiers (GEEKS) announced today that founder, Michael Potter, has been appointed to a working group of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC), a new body focused on accelerating the deployment of broadband Internet access. Potter will be focused on the working group tasked with developing model state and municipal codes.
Michael Potter remarked, "We commend FCC Chairman Pai's initiative, to prioritize and accelerate the roll-out of broadband connectivity. There is a direct relationship between connectivity, bandwidth and sustainable economic development." Potter further explained, "I have spent my entire professional career accelerating broadband connectivity. This is definitely my passion and my calling. It is an honor to be able to play a role in identifying and developing solutions for how to scale sustainable broadband connectivity in the U.S."
In addition to founding Geeks Without Frontiers (GEEKS), a non profit organization focused on positively impacting the lives of a billion people over the next ten years through the innovative use of technology, connectivity, and sustainable social enterprise models, Potter brings extensive commercial experience in developing international broadband networks. He served on the Board of Directors of Global Connect, a Danish Internet infrastructure provider, which has deployed nearly 10,000 miles of fiber optic network in Northern Europe. Potter was Vice Chairman, Co-Founder and President of Esprit Telecom plc., the first pan-European competitive telecommunications service provider. During his eight years at Esprit, his team grew to 1,000 employees in over nine European Countries and a market capitalization of $1 billion.
Geeks Without Frontiers views Potter's appointment as a synergy with our efforts to help close the digital divide. He brings extensive telecommunications knowledge, problem solving and analytical skills to the Advisory Committee.
At our "Connectivity is the Revolution!" thought leadership forum last year, GEEKS released its Dig Once! international model legislation to drive and inspire a global policy effort to help close the digital divide, and bring connectivity to the estimated 3.2 billion people who do not have the benefit of internet access.
Dig Once! provides a customizable legislative framework designed to increase the availability of broadband Internet facilities by reducing the time, cost and environmental impact of rolling out high-speed communications networks.
Over 80% of fiber optic costs are related to digging trenches for laying fiber optic cabling and the roll-out of fiber is not coordinated or optimized.
The GEEK'S Dig Once! initiative envisages the joint use of existing networks (including utility networks), the automatic incorporation of fiber into new and modified infrastructure developments such as roads and railways, the centralization of information about networks and network capacity and the coordination of civil works so that fiber rollout is optimized.
About Geeks Without Frontiers
The GEEKS goal is to positively impact the lives of a billion people in the next ten years through the innovative use of technology, connectivity, and sustainable social enterprise models.
The GEEK'S Dig Once! initiative was selected in August 2016 for the Singularity University's Global Grand Challenge Awards.