HNcBNc was contacted by the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) due to their success in administering and managing a federal broadband grant and turning the grant project into a sustainable business in a short period of time. The NTIA is the primary agency charged with advising the President on telecommunication and information policy issues. Rodney Brown, executive director and chief executive of HNcBNc represented the company at the event. The event was held in Cedar Falls, IA at Cedar Falls Utilities.
UnityPoint Health received federal awards from the Rural Health Care Pilot Program and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) both part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama in 2009. These grants supported the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand data centers, encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service, and develop and maintain a nationwide public map of broadband service capability and availability. Through its subsidiaries, UnityPoint Health administered the federal funding to purchase new robust equipment, fiber telecommunication huts, and constructing fiber routes connecting the fiber network backbone to healthcare related community anchor institutions (CAIs) and businesses. The purpose of these grants were to improve broadband access to these CAIs in rural under-served areas within the Midwest.
By 2010 UnityPoint Health, one of the largest health systems in the country created two subsidiaries as a result of receiving broadband grants from the ARRA initiative. These subsidiaries are HealthNet connect, LC, a health care consortium with over 100 health care providers connected to our private fiber optic network and infrastructure. BHC, LC a holding company consisting of two subsidiaries, HNc Services, Inc. and BroadNet connect are private companies that provide low cost broadband Internet to hospitals, clinics, schools, local government and businesses. Together these companies form HNcBNc. HNcBNc, through UnityPoint Health, own and operate a private fiber optic network that runs through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. Today they connect hospitals, clinics, businesses, schools and local government in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois and will expand to Wisconsin. HNcBNc mainly focus on the rural parts of the states.
Not only does HNcBNc provide low cost high-speed broadband Internet, but they also provide a host of broadband technology services such as cloud services, telehealth services and information technology support services. HNcBNc is now a revenue producing business and have created dozens of good paying high-tech jobs right here in Iowa. This is a tremendous success story for the ARRA Broadband initiatives!
HNcBNc has partnered with local leadership to build an operating network that closes any "digital divide" between rural and urban communities. One of these partnerships is with Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU). HNcBNc provides CFU with 10 gigabytes of transport to help deliver gigabit broadband services to the city of Cedar Falls. This aligns with HNcBNc’s mission of providing services that helps customers make a difference in the lives of the communities they serve.
HNcBNc will continue to expand the fiber optic network as new opportunities for growth are developed.
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About HNcBNc
BHC, LC is a wholly owned subsidiary of UnityPoint Health. The BHC, LC companies are HNc Services Inc. and Broadband Inc., dba BroadNet connect. Through these subsidiaries BHC, LC offer tremendous opportunities to develop business, improve efficiency and lower costs by providing business, communications and technology services to health care providers, business organizations, education and local government.
HNc Services Inc. - a communications and information technology company providing communication and technology services to the HealthNet connect consortium and the health care community.
BroadNet connect - a communications and information technology company providing communication and technology services to community anchor institutions (education and local government) and general business communities.
HealthNet connect, LC - a consortium of health care entities sharing a common goal of instantaneous communication of medical information by utilizing the HNc|BNc fiber optic network and data center infrastructure.
Together these companies form HNc|BNc. Today HNc|BNc are connecting hospital, business, education and government organizations throughout the mid-west to our fiber optic network and data center infrastructure.
About UnityPoint Health
UnityPoint Health is one of the nation’s most integrated health systems. Our physician-led team of professionals communicates clearly and effectively to address a patient’s health care in the most appropriate setting: whether that is a clinic, a hospital or at home. Through relationships with more than 280 physician clinics, 32 hospitals in metropolitan and rural communities and home care services throughout its 9 regions, UnityPoint Health provides care throughout Iowa, Western Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
UnityPoint Health entities employ more than 30,000 employees, working toward innovative advancements to deliver the Best Outcome for Every Patient Every Time. Each year, through more than 4.5 million patient visits, UnityPoint Health, UnityPoint Clinic and UnityPoint at Home provides a full range of coordinated care to patients and families. With projected annual revenues of $3.7 billion, UnityPoint Health is the nation’s 13th largest nonprofit health system and the fourth largest nondenominational health system in America.
UnityPoint Health provides community benefit programs and services to improve the health of people in its communities.